Tainted Tale
by Flying.Penguin.97
Summary: Ghirahim was furious at Link after their last encounter in Lanayru and is determined to punish him as well as get the information he needs from him, and when the opportunity to convert Link onto his side arises he can't resist taking it. Currently being reviewed!
1. Ghirahim's Proposition

**Going back to review this fanfiction and correct all grammar and spelling before moving back to wayward sword, It still amases me how popular you guys made this story, and I reallt must thank you guys for that! YOU ROCK :)**

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><p>Distant rumbles shook the entire infrastructure of the building; causing ripples to stream through the cracks by the door and shake the water in unsteady waves.<p>

The water dragon swam around her throne room in uneasy anticipation. She could sense great evil outside those doors and she didn't need the powers her goddess had given her to know that it was exactly this presence causing the mass destruction in her palace. She had managed to get as many of her loyal subjects that shared her waters into the throne room before she sealed it off, but some unfortunate ones had been trapped outside. Too slow to make it in before the monsters came. Faintly she could hear their screams outside and lowered her head in guilt at her uselessness at this moment. She didn't let it last long however. She knew from the moment she felt this evil presence she wouldn't be able to save everyone. The solution she had taken would save the most people and there was no guilt to be had in that.

She chose to seal them away safely as she slaughtered the intruders. Manners were a very important thing to her, and she couldn't care whether the chosen hero himself stormed through those doors, they would be killed before they even realised they had reached the place they were searching for.

The last of her people filled into the safe room underneath the platform her throne rested on. The hollow space a great hiding spot for her people if all else failed. The door sealed close. Stopping the hushed whispers and frantic shouts of her panicked subjects. Everything went silent. Even the screams outside had stopped which meant they had finally killed the last of the ones out there. It also meant _they_ were extremely close. Perhaps even at the door itself. That was certainly where most of the trapped fish had decided to linger when their safe haven closed off. Perhaps they were waiting for it to be reopened. Perhaps they had been trying to open it.

She hadn't expected the ripples to stop. She expected them to intensify as they forced their way in but instead they came to a rest and everything stilled. She frowned at the door, the irrational thought that maybe they had given up so close to victory coming to her and she scolded herself for even thinking about opening the door to check.

A small black shape lingered through the key hole. Quickly joined by another. They joined together growing bigger as another black spec slipped through. As it grew the unmistakable shape of a diamond came to view and she braced for whatever was about to come. The diamond gently drifted toward the door. The second the corner of it touched the stone it slammed on glowing a violent red and the dragon backed away.

The diamond faded to an orange colour and when she began to think that maybe this diamond wouldn't work cracks splintered across the stone and the door slammed to its hinges. Floods of diamonds raced across the water. Turning into the shapes of exotic monstrous fish as they neared.

The water dragon whirled in the water to avoid the majority of the beasts, the small whirl causing the exploding breed of fish to bash against another taking out their front line. Her tail danced in fast precise attacks and the fish were knocked into several groups, each exploding at different times.

New breeds of fish stormed past, the littlest of them reaching her scales and burning them, singeing her precious scales off into black ash. She flinched and backed away from them. Using her own electric tendrils to zap them back and kill them. However there was a particuarlly nimble species that managed to dodge even the quickest of her attacks, damaging her scaly armour before she could reduce them to smoking purple clouds. These weren't real fish, they were fighting for someone else and when she realized the water dragon flipped from the water to the platform on which her throne stood tall.

The sickening cries of the monster species in the water left her and the sounds of the air came to her. A light chuckle drifted from behind her, the notes turning deep with malice. Turning around the water dragon laid eyes on the master mind of the plan. A white haired man sat on her throne, tapping his fingers on the arm rest as if he had been waiting quite a while for her to figure out the fish were mere distractions. A great aura rolled off him in waves and without having to be told she knew what he was.

"Hmmpf, I expected something more impressive from the stories I had heard water dragon." He flexed his hand before standing and flipping back his white hair. Anger bubbled under her scales as she looked at him. He had the nerve to come here with all his minions, slaughter her people and then act as if he was the commanding presence of this palace. The behaviour was beyond anything acceptable and she felt deep hatred brewing inside herself for this particular demon.

She wanted to kill him but thought it rude to kill this man without even a word spoken. "What could you possible hope to achieve by coming here?" She rumbled deeply at him. It had been louder then needed to talk to him from such a small distance but she hadn't found it loud, or empowering enough. She was in charge here and he knew that so why she felt the need to scream the fact at him only angered her more.

His laughter left and his face turned hard. "I have a proposition for you."

"I don't deal with demons." She growled back. A look of anger flickered across his features so quickly anyone else would of missed it but she had keen eyes. He smirked slightly. "Not even for the safety of your people."

His booted foot tapped lightly against the ground in which her people swam under. Not really her people of course but just as close to her as any real family. His monsters bashed into the side in warning. They could break through to them and they wanted her to know that. It was a great hiding place but if known about they both knew the hollow room was too weak to protect against attack.

"What do you possibly think I would give to you?" It wasn't an agreement but the fact she hadn't tried to kill him made him very aware that he had the dragon right where he wanted. She pretended not to notice his smile.

"You and me both know the goddesses hero has started his quest and that as we speak he is looking for the flame of Farore." He paced forward, cape blaring, eyes glaring directly at hers. "I know very well that you hide this flame and all I need you to do is stop him from reaching it."

A pang of worry struck inside the blue being as he continued his rant. "Or better yet..." He continued but she blanked out. She didn't need to listen to any more of his terms. There was no way she could stop the hero's progress. Without him there was no hope. The imprisoned had already escaped once and the seal was extremely weak. They needed him.

As he talked he came increasingly closer and the dragon stared at his feet. The two things dwindling in and out of her reach. When he stopped to look for her answer he was at the edge of her reach. She glanced straight at him and part of her feared her gaze might give away her intent but he had no reaction. "Like I said earlier I don't deal with demons."

She dove for him at great speed but he dodged. His speed not just matching, but beating hers and it stunned the dragon. No demons she had ever encountered could move so fast and when he disappeared he barely gave her enough time before he sunk a blade into her scale covered back. She let out as small gasp as he twisted the blade.

"Goddess serving mutts are so difficult to deal with, always wanting to fight instead of negotiate." He sighed and even though she couldn't see him she imagined him flipping his head and hair back. "Not that it matters this was all part of the plan anyway."

The Dragon didn't even have time to be confused as Ghirahim removed the sword and replaced it with a new source of agony. She didn't know what it was but it was moving inside her wound and the pain caused her to black out.

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><p><strong>- Nicolette xx<strong>


	2. Falling in Place

**Wow! Four reviews already! :D OMG You wonderful people don't know how happy it made me to go to bed at 12pm after posting this and to wake up at 8am to find 4 reviews! So a big thank you to Meijosui, Roowbin, Maya Chain and especially the lovely WolfRunner326 who even subscribed and added this to favourites (you rock! :P) Also thanks to Kimiosiki who didn't review but was kind enough to subscribe :)**

**Thought I'd leave all thanks when going back to review, but if you see this message it means this chapter has been edited :)**

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><p>The masses of water below the green hero's feet sparkled away brightly as it caught the sunshine in multiple locations despite its remote and concealed location. Link glanced down at the mossy green water from the unguarded platform he stood on, completely convinced he wouldn't need to use his sail cloth if he dived. The smooth scale around his neck glinted in the sun, its presence and ability giving him far more confidence then he would have alone.<p>

The hilt of his sword flashed and Fi emerged in front of him, the sword spirit hovering over the platform edge, completely uneffected by gravity and unfazed by the fall beneath her feet. "I predict a 97% chance you will be able to pull of a dive from such height with the scale you possess master." She chimed, the sounds she made in a language he couldn't understand but the meaning behind them still somehow filling his mind. Link glanced at her blue and purple face, smooth and glazed. Free of any imperfections and unmistakably un-human, despite the similar shape.

"Thanks Fi." He muttered and the spirit nodded before flipping back into the goddess's sword. The high chances was the last spur link needed and he backed up, sprinting off the platform edge, plenty of free space between him and the water that could be used to perfect his diving angle and position as he fell. It felt odd to jump like this. Normally he was sprawled out, falling much slower because of the air that hit his body. Shaped like this no such air slowed him down and he fell effortlessly fast, slipping into the water with ease.

He came up for air after the dive. Taking the short time the current let him have to admire the sheer size of the lake before it dragged him inside. Waterfalls fell in all directions and he was intrigued at where they were all coming from. In Skyloft there was a point so high up in the clouds that the cold temperature turned the water in the air back to a liquid, causing it to fall and collect at the top of Skyloft, the overflowing water spilt off the edge in constant steams of water. He wondered if the same happened here. Doubting it slightly as he had never been to a place cold enough on the surface.

The current pulled him down a small gap into a cavern that looked like the start of a building. Rocks crumbled in certain places and he wondered if it had been caused by the same old age that affected the outside parts of the building. Taking a big gulp of air, he dove underwater. Snapped bits of wood hung from the sides of tunnels, the missing parts floating beside them. He wondered how long they had been broken. If this dragon was as strict as the kikwi told him he couldn't imagine it had been long, a dragon so strict with manners wouldn't leave her home a mess for long.

As if confirming this, up ahead Link saw squid like fish clearing up the shards of wood, muttering away amongst themselves as if they had just discovered they could speak. What ever they were talking about was important enough for them not to notice Link as he swam past them, out of the tunnel and to the surface for air. Iron bars blocked his path forwards. He swam towards them noticing the masses of fish he had seen earlier chattering away. He listened for a while, their words were so fast he missed most of them but the awe in their voices was unmistakable.

"Human!" One of them cried out, swimming away from the bars. "How did you get so far into the palace?" It demanded more than asked. Keeping afloat by kicking his legs Link grabbed the scale around his neck and held it to the light, the sunshine reflecting perfectly off its smooth surface, causing the fish to fall silent. "This helped... a lot." He answered and the people broke into whispers. One of the fish came forward stroking the scale with its tentacle. "A water dragon scale from our mistress." It mewed in a half trance state before sharpening. "You must be here for the water dragon, come forward hero."

Link glanced at the bars in confusion before replying. "There is a reason I stopped here you know." The squid sighed. "Humans and their bones, not to worry simply spin up from the water." Link nodded and dove before looking back up, he adjusted his position before pushing upwards. His legs spun in different directions and when he broke the surface he twirled through the air and back into the water. Some of the squid awed but the one who addressed him earlier looked suddenly unimpressed. They both knew it hadn't been Links doing after all; it was very much thanks to the scale on his neck.

"Follow me."

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><p>The room of the water dragon was left wide open, the cracks across the stone door that sealed it probably stopping it from closing. Swimming through and up Link arrived in a massive throne room, a great big platform was raised in the centre holding the dragons throne up and he swam towards it, clambering up instead of spinning on. It was a big throne. Much bigger then himself and so as he stood there waiting he expected a large, blue scaled dragon to come out of hiding.<p>

His ears heard a sloshing noise behind him and as he turned he noticed the great big ripples around the platform he stood on. Shining blue light sparkled from the water moving around the centre before coming into view. Link shrouded his eyes as the water dragon jumped from the water, splashing his already wet tunic with more water and stinging his eyes where her scales caught the light. When he opened them again the water dragon was sat on her throne, her long body wrapped around and behind her chair as she sat on it, whisker like tentacles danced around her head coming to a rest as she looked at him.

"Link." She rumbled, something flashing in her eyes that he could not understand. Relief? Happiness that he had arrived perhaps? "I do apologise for the state of the place, we were attacked by great evil not to before your arrival." She explained, her voice sounding ever so slightly off as she spok. Link didn't even have to ask to know she meant Ghirahim. He winced as he remembered the crumbled stone and broken wood at the entrance. He obviously hadn't been gentle in what he had wanted to accomplish, but she seemed completely unfazed. She didn't even seem injured which gave him an indication to just how strong she must be.

"Of course he was no problem but he left my home in a rather bad mess don't you agree?" Link blinked at her question. "Um I guess?"

Link didn't think it was **_that_** bad but he hadn't seen the place before so he was in no position to judge. He stepped forwards, tunic and hair dripping onto the damp stone as he walked and he suddenly felt the great need to shake his hair dry. But he resisted the temptation, manners were key.

"I'm sorry for your attack but since you and your people seem fine may I ask where the flame of..."

"Farore is?" She finished. Smiling slightly at him. "Of course hero, follow me." She dove backwards, over her throne and into the water before quickly flipping back out and waiting by a passage in the rock.

"Follow me." She smiled. Something about it felt off but maybe it was just his distance from her that made it seem so as he dove into the water and spun up onto the edge to follow. They only walked a short distance before light flooded in up ahead. In the distance Link could see the sparkle of water before he was forced to shield his eyes from the bright sunshine. When his sight adjusted he saw a small spring swarming with blessed butterflies. Circular stones rose to the surface, leading the way to the base of a waterfall, and if he squinted he was able to make out the entrance to a temple.

The dragon flew up in a sudden gush of wind to the top of the waterfall; all her scales shining now she was in direct sunlight making her look like a second sun. She lowered into the water and it split in two, leaving a gap big enough to jump through. She dove down into the water and even though her body was no longer there to keep the water split it stayed that way as her head popped up from the water. "The flame you seek is directly ahead boy, I suggest you make haste." She dove back under the water and Link glanced at the split waterfall, marvelling at the miraculous position it held.

He glance at the bird statue to his right and checked his pouch for potions. He was practically fully stocked and so without needing to return to Skyloft he leapt forwards. Jumping across the stones to the temple entrance. He looked down at the darkened steps and took a deep breath before walking forwards, his feet sloshing against puddles of water as he vanished from sight.

Unknown to the hero however, the temple door behind him shut closed, locking tightly in place as the waterfall closed back in on itself to hide the door from view.

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><p><strong>Are you confused? :D Good it means my story is working! Please read and review and feel free to make a guess at what the heck you feel happened before Link arrived, or maybe even just leave a bit of banter, anything asked or said in reviews I will reply to next chapter. :)<strong>

**- Nicolette x**


	3. Coming Together

**Hello everyone! This is chapter 3 of Tainted Tale and if I do say so myself this is where the story really begins! :D As always thank you, you wonderful people for 3 more reviews! Especially as that wasn't exactly the best bit of the story. Big thank you to my previous reviewers Roowbin and Wolfrunner326 for continuing to read and review and another big thank you to ShatteredSaphire (lovely name by the way :) ) who also left me a lovely review. I'm glad your finding this interesting when I personally think it only starts to become so in this chapter :D Sorry for confusing you Roowbin but that was what I was going for *gives them an apologetic cookie* This story very much follows the story line of events in Skyward Sword I just changed it ever so slightly and that change is going to make a big difference for Link! (bit like those torture fiction pieces you can read where they change it ever so slightly so Link can't escape on Eldin) Also thank you to Lain Frys who didn't review but subscribed! :)**

**- Reviewed**

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><p>Purple smoke whisped in from the room in front. The horrible state of the area completely out of place with not just the rest of the temple but anywhere Link had ever been. He had travelled across dry desserts and scorching volcanos but the sight before him was nothing to marvel at.<p>

It was just plain freaky.

It had been one thing to look down at the place from the barred window earlier but actually standing here was another thing entirely. Bones were littered everywhere, like white bushes and branches in a forest of bone. Bubbling purple liquid rest in puddles, dripping from the ceiling although it was clearly unlike the rest of the water above this floor. Link didn't even have to touch it to know that this water- if it could even be called that- was definitely not safe.

Stepping out into the area he let go of the stone door behind him and let it fall down. He didn't move anywhere though. He rest against the cool slab of stone glancing around, mapping out the quickest route possible so he wouldn't have to spend long exploring around down here. Up ahead blackened lily pads lay overturned in the bubbling water leading up to a ledge his whip could latch onto, but the path was blocked by a giant bolder and any bombs he threw at it would surely fall off. He glanced to the side of a waterfall, noticing for the first time how the structure was arranged like a face. Looming eyes stared at him, bone like hands either side, one hand supporting the ledge he could swing on and the other leading to a small cavern.

He set out for the cavern, carefully avoiding standing on any particularly unstable lumps of bone. He'd of preferred not to stand on any bone but that was impossible. The whole area was littered with them and it made him wonder just how many dead things were actually down here. And Why. Walking behind the stony hand he came to the base of the waterfall. Without stepping too close to it he glanced ahead at the rather limited view, the water completely blocked any sight of the room from this angle only keeping a single bomb plant in sight and the stone tablet in front of it.

_"Strike the heart of the eye to clear the way."_

Link frowned, wondering why on earth these tablets had to talk in riddles. If the goddess wanted him to work things out for himself why bother leaving them here? Turning back Link came out of the small cavern looking at the bony hand that held the platform. He hadn't seen any eyes anywhere so where did it want him to look? He glanced up at the hollow face in the rock and it clicked. There must be something in the hollow pits of the eyes. Grabbing his beetle from the pouch around his waist he lined up the shot and let his beetle fly off in a burst of speed. The beetle glided around the inside of the eye before smashing into something and shakily making its way back.

A faint red glow came from the eyes and the waterfall cut off. Bingo. Using his beetle again he glided it to the bomb he saw earlier, picking it up and aiming it for the boulder in his way. He let the beetle drop it and the rock shattered into pieces as the beetle made its way back. He tidied the beetle away and took out his whip, avoiding tangling it in the chains that lined the walls as he made his way forwards.

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><p>After clearing the path ahead Link came to a small pile of bones and a small rope dangling above it that led up to the main floor of the temple. Link could only guess it ended up on the platform where he could raise the building again, meaning he could come back down and take the key. Stomping his boot into the pile of bones he made sure he had a good grip before climbing to the centre and using the rope to hold him there. Just as he was about to climb Fi flickered before jumping out of the sword next to him looking at Link with one of those rare expressions she gave that actually made her look like she had emotions. "Link I have been analysing the surrounding area whilst we have been down here and have come to a worrying conclusion."<p>

Link rolled his eyes as he gripped the rope and started to climb. "Yes I know Fi I have eyes and I'm perfectly capable of seeing the bones and the chains."

Fi hesitated before responding and if Link hadn't know any better he may of thought she was shaking her head at him. "Much more worrying then that Master, the place is completely empty of all life signs yet I detect a large aura of monsters we have not encountered before as well as a strong aura from Ghirahim." Link froze on the rope , Ghirahim had been here. How had he even got in here? The place had been closed off. Not just that but how was it even possible to be detecting large amounts of monsters if there were no life signs. Fi had to be wrong. "Are you sure?"

"I am more then 99.9% sure that the readings are correct Master..." Before Link had the chance to look at Fi the bones beneath him began to shake and rumble. Bony arms reached upwards followed by the rotting bodies of what appeared to be Bokoblins. Link had never seen the dead body of a real Bokoblin before. All Bokoblins he had seen had been servants of Ghirahim and so had vanished in puffs of purple when ever he killed them. Glancing at the now suspiciously purple surroundings he wondered if there was even the slightest possibility that this is where they came when they vanished. Fi glided in front of him, uttering a message about how his chances of escape were smaller then 12% if he didn't start moving again now.

Link practically jumped up the rope, trying to shake off the monsters as he climbed as fast as possible. But despite their very dead appearance they moved incredibly fast. A bony hand latched on to his leg and pulled him down slightly, biting into the skin of his leg. Link shouted a cry of pain as he kicked the Bokoblin off just as another arrived, grabbing one leg and then letting go of the rope and grabbing his other leg, the extra weight pulling him down. Link slid down the rope quickly, hands burning and the other boblokins grabbed onto his lower body. So many grabbed at his legs it was impossible to kick them off and so he tried to continue climbing, slipping ever so slightly now and then and crying out when they bit his legs. The one that had grabbed onto his legs climbed up his side and Link could only vow to reach the top before it reached his arm. One hand left the rope and gripped onto the side of what he assumed was the first floor. He swung his other arm up at the exact same time the Bokoblin on his side grabbed it.

With his legs rendered useless and no free hand to defend himself with, all the Bokoblin had to do was yank down with its bony fingers and they all fell. The Bokoblin on his side fell ahead of Link and the others let go of his leg and held onto the rope as he fell with the one boblokin into the pile of bones. The Bokoblin hit the pile, its leg snapping to the side as it landed but it made no indication of being in pain as it instantly stood back up, limping forwards.

Links head hit the bone pile and his vision swayed, flickering in and out of consciousness. He felt a great sharp pain in his chest and rolled over, clutching his side as he looked up hazily at the light. The heads of rotting Bokoblins came into view, at first only a few, but more came until eventually the light was blocked by the sheer amount of them around him. They gripped his hands and feet. Clinging onto his hair and shoulders and just when he thought they were about to start eating him alive they backed off. He saw a shadow appear on his body but he never saw it's owner as a sharp boot hit him in the back of the head knocking him out cold.

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><p><strong>OUCH! Now am I the only one that was freaked out by this part of the temple? Usually the only part of the game that freaks me out is those statues that bound towards you intent on knocking you out but this place was just freaky! Now the fact that maybe this was the place all the dead creature came after you kill them and they disappear into smoke is completely just a theory and in no way true. It only just clicked into my head as I typed out the description of the purple haze in this area and then the purple haze of dying critters and it just clicked in my mind! And it even makes sense because of the half dead Bokoblins you find here as well as the endless piles of bones! (ewwie)<strong>

**Please read and review with what you think and feel free to ask any questions about anything you may be confused about or comment on anything you particularly liked or just to leave me a bit of banter (*cough* yeah I'm not a review whore *shifty*) :D **

**- Nicolette**


	4. Connecting the puzzle peices

**Ah Chapter 4 I really did enjoy typing you out! You were so much fun :D As for reviews... yeah reviews! (BUT OH MY GOSH THEIR GOING DOWN D:) Thanks Roowbin and WolfRunner326, my two faithful reviewers! :) I know I didn't get many reviews but my oh my did I get a big number of subscriptions and favorites so my motivation isn't faltering ... (ah much :P) Huge thanks to Zelda3469, OhMyGeePinkSucksAss (breath), LaurenFitz, and Chinokitty who all either favourited the story or subscribed! (Or Both in OhMyGeePinkSucksAss's case) :D Next chapter if you have time please leave a review (I don't bite I promise! I even give out cookie bribes!) *Chucks two cookies to Roowbin and WolfRunner326***

**- Reviewed**

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><p>When Link first swayed back into conciousness the first thing he was truly aware of was this glowing purple haze, flashing so brightly it sunk in, past his eyelids and into his vision. He watched it's flashing pattern for a while, entranced by it's simple pulse, knowing exactly when the light would fade to darkness and then back again.<p>

The light woke him from his sleep, bringing him round enough for him to hear the surroundings in where he laid. The chime of Fi wanting his attention was the loudest noise, only unable to be the only noise due to the subtle sound of passing wind and dripping water. Link moaned and went to roll over and rub his eyes, expecting the familiar feel of a wooden frame bed beneath him or the softness of grass depending on where he had decided to sleep for the night.

What he hadn't expected was to feel a cool metal handcuff press against his skin and so he opened his eyes in alarm. He wasn't in the forest, he wasn't even in Skyloft and until the full haziness of sleep left him he had struggled to remember he was in the basement of the Ancient Cistern. The familiarly freaky purple surroundings seemed alot bigger now he was strapped into the chains that lined the walls and he didn't like it. Just more space for those cursed undead bokoblins to hide.

He glanced around for any sign of them before peering at the chains, giving a light tug to test their strength. The chains pulled on the clip that was hammered into the wall easily, but the clip itself stayed strong despite how old the rust and mold that covered it suggested it was. Link thrashed his arms in the limited space the chains gave him, he could hear Fi chime behind him, see the light coming from his sword reflecting off the surface he was chained to and he desperately tried to grasp the hilt of the sword to hear her advise. He growled a little when he couldn't reach, annoyed at the person who had chained him here. They knew he wouldn't be able to reach his sword and that's why they had left it with him.

To mock him.

Cursed Bokoblins staggered around him, looking at him hungrily but not daring to come to close because of the light coming from his sword. He stared at them, their arms a mixture of exposed bone and rotting flesh, their horns shattered and their cloths ragged. Why were they still alive? No, How were they still alive was the best question to ask, there was no way a animal with such injuries could still live, in fact their rotting flesh suggested they were actually dead which only made Link all the more confused. However they were staying alive didn't change the fact that the result wasn't all that pretty.

"Magnificent creatures aren't they?" Link stilled at the voice, tracing the location it came from with his eyes but finding nothing. With anyone elses voice he would of thought he was hearing things but for this ... person it was only ordinary for him to move around alot. Diamonds rearranged in front of him and a smiling Ghirahim emerged, his hands still held up in their usual snapping position that he used when ever he teleported. Ghirahim didn't need to click to teleport, he was just a very dramatic person.

"Freaky would be the word I'd use." Link retorted, trying not to let his fear show, he wasn't as scared as he used to be of Ghirahim, especially now he had gotten used to the constant danger, but being trapped and at his mercy let a little bit of his early on fear for the demon grow back. Ghirahim rolled his eyes and flicked back his hair, stalking forward to kneel besides the chained Link. "Trust you to lack appreciation for such things, I'd like to see you come back to life after I kill you."

Link froze momentarily pondering if Ghirahim really had the guts to kill him and unfortunately came back with the conclusion that not only did he have enough guts to kill him once, but multiple times over. Ghirahim let out a bitter laugh. "Aw such fear, It's cute Sky Child, really suits you." He stood up tall again and walked out towards the centre of the platform Link was chained on. "Don't fret I'm not going to kill you straight away." he muttered, bringing a hand to his face in thought. "No, if you're still on this little quest of yours it means you must know another way to the Spirit Maiden and I'm desperate to hear it." He turned to look Link square in the eyes. "Care to share?" He asked but Link got the impression he didn't really care if he said yes or no. Link wasn't going to play this game though and he dodged the question asking another in return.

"How did you even get in this temple, only the water dragon can let people in here."

"Well there's your answer Sky Child, if the water dragon is the only one that can let people in then obviously the water dragon let me in." He stated taking big confident steps towards Link. Link frowned at the demon. The water dragon would never let him into this temple. She would not disobey the goddess. Or would she? She and her palace had been attacked by Ghiahim but he hadn't seen any signs of injury on her being.

Could she really of agreed to let him in?

No.

"I don't believe you." Ghirahim stopped walking and chuckled slightly, bringing a hand to his mouth to pardon his laughter. "You really need to start believing what I say Link, I said I would kill you and here you are waiting to be killed." He was about to finish when Link cut in "The water dragon wouldn't do that." If Link had know any better he would of thought that's exactly what Ghirahim wanted him to say.

"It's surprising what someone will agree to once you infect them with a parasite."

_~ Ghirahim removed the sword and replaced it with a new source of agony. The water dragon didn't know what it was but it squirmed deep inside her fresh wound, the pain causing her to black out. Ghirahim laughed as the mighty water dragon fell to the ground. Her wounds slowly closed up and then she opened her eyes, they flashed red before settling back to their usual colour and the water dragon stood staring straight at Ghirahim. He smiled at the supposed servant of the goddess before speaking, "About our deal... You let me into the temple and I make sure that sky child never makes it to the flame...?" The parasite blinked at first, adjusting to the sheer size of it's new host before smiling. "Yes Master Ghirahim." ~_

Link stared up at Ghirahim. He had infected the water dragon? So this had been a trap from the very beginning. The second that water dragon- no that parasite had layed eyes on him it had been planning to whisk him off to Ghirahim? Fear bubbled underneath him, with the only person that knew where he was a servant to Ghirahim he truly had no chance of escape. A pang of sympathy went towards the squid like fish that he knew now served a parasite. What would happen to them now the parasite no longer needed to keep in character? Were they even still alive?

By the time Link came back to his senses Ghirahim was next to him again. Arm wrapped around his shoulders, his sharp fingernails tapping his arm as Ghirahim examined the nails on his other hand. "But enough about that, what about our deal?" Link had to think to remember what Ghirahim had meant before he answered. He shifted away from Ghirahim's arm before speaking. "It's a no, like you knew it would be." Ghirahim chuckled. "Yes I did." He reached over Link, grabbing the sword and shield from his back and pretending to wield them. "Such a weak sword, how you were able to lay any blows on me in our battle with this is beyond me boy." He clicked his fingers and they disappeared into a sea of diamonds. "Allow me to dispose of them properly and them I can let the fun begin." Ghirahim flipped his hair back, turning on his heel to walk away, readying his hand to teleport before Link shouted at him.

"I'm not going to tell you anything so there's no need to bother." Ghirahim froze mid teleport, turning to look at Link with a sudden serious expression. "I know sky child and I have prepared accordingly, its doesn't matter how strong your will what I have planned for you will work." He disappeared then and Link was left alone. With the chime of Fi trying to reach him gone he truly was in a completely foreign enviroment. The bokoblins around him stalked forward now the bright light keeping them away was gone. They couldn't reach him because of the cursed water that separated the platform he was on and the ones they were on. But the moaning and expressions on there faces was still enough to freak Link out and he knew that even if Ghirahim was only gone for five minutes it would feel like a life time.

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><p><strong>Yes it is true the water dragon has a parasite and now the first few chapters of my story make sense! Woo! Kudos to ShatterdShaphire who actually guessed it was a trap! Let me know if you saw that coming ;) Please Read and review guys! I would really appreciate if you took one or two minutes to leave me a review instead of just favouritings or subscribing even if the review is only a few words long! It's always great to read what you think about my story but the true excitement comes from coming back and seeing that little number beside your story has gone up! :D (gives me butterflies every time)<strong>

**Until tommorow! **

**-Nicolette x**


	5. Let the fun begin

**So here it is, thanks to the lovely Vann-Chan, who also favourited and alerted! :D Have 3 cookies and consider yourself one of my BFF's! T****o Roowbin, One of my faithful reviewers who also favourite'd this chapter so glad to see you like where it's heading! ****To Eyalane who left me an apsoloutly wonderful review (thank you for book marking! I'm so glad you love my story, I asumed people liked it but it gave me so much happiness to read our review and see people love it to! ****To henslight, Think you'll be glad to here we do have a little torture coming up! But don't worry this isn't becoming a sole torture story I have a plot to move on with I just think Ghirahim needs a chapter or two to have some fabulous fun! ****To A.L.F, who reviewed so quickly! Seriously you beat wolfrunner and that takes skills! I hope you'll be glad to hear I update daily my friend! Glad your liking my story so far, thank you so much for reviewing. ****To WolfRunner326 thank you as always for leaving a review, I know that if all else fails I'll always have you and roowbin motivating me to keep writing with your reviews! ****And to FourthGoddess who alerted but didn't review which I still very much appreciated!**

**Cookies for all of you! Now enough of my rambling on with the show!**

**-Reviewed**

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><p>Link had long ago closed his eyes, humming away to the Ballad of the Goddess to try and keep his mind off where his was, what he had (more specifically what he didn't have) and most importantly who had him. He knew pain was coming, whether Ghirahim was going to drag it out or keep it quick and then move on to getting information from him he didn't know. All he really knew about Ghirahim is that, quest aside, he had hurt him on an emotional level. Interfering with his plans and besting him had made him furious and Link knew before he even thought about getting information out of him he would get his pay back first.<p>

_"I'll deafen your ears with the sounds of your own screams!"_

Link shuddered as he remembered the words, a chill making its way through his back and he hummed louder trying to block out his thoughts. He had to think of something else, anything else to distract him right now.

He found himself thinking of something completely unconnected. Crimson. His name practically gave his appearance away and it was safe to say that Link hadn't been all that creative whilst naming him. But the name was still unique, mainly because he was the only bird of his kind in the sky. He had been a dead give away when Link was younger, making it impossible to sneak away or skip class but thinking back to it now Link wouldn't of swapped his loftwing for the world. It was sad to say but he was like his best friend.

He wondered if his loftwing could sense that he was in trouble like Link had with him on the day of the wing ceremony. Was he circling the green beam of light Link had leaped into worryingly? Trying to alert someone that his master was in trouble?

Master. The word made his thoughts bounce straight to Fi and then of course to Ghirahim, who had teleported her away. He hoped Ghirahim couldn't hurt her. Although Fi was unable to express emotions he liked to think that he and Fi had a weird sort of friendship. He knew Fi could have handled anyone that was destined to pick up the Goddess'es sword but Link doubted he could of got this far without her help. It wasn't necessarily the advice she offered (as most of it he already knew) but it was her company. Having to go through everything he had alone would have droven him insane and he was glad he had her to talk to.

And annoyed that he didn't have her now. If only he had listened to Fi before he started to climb that rope, if he had they might not be in this mess now. But he was and he couldn't change the past. Link sighed at the fact his mind was taking him round in circles when he didn't want to think about it and simple decided to abandon thinking for humming.

He had just started to get into it when he heard the sound of diamonds cutting incredibly fast through the air. A sound that was always made when Ghirahim teleported. Squinting through his eyes he saw the demon lord looking down at him. He was very much in charge right now, you didn't need to know anything about either of them to know that someone standing tall in front of a kneeling, chained boy screamed power. And judging by the smile on Ghirahim's face he was enjoying this much power.

"Oh Link what a wonderful situation you have created for me." He sort of purred, like it was a luxury he hadn't expected to be given. "Not only can I get the information I need to get to Hylia from you but I can also take my sweet time paying you back for meddling in my plans." He stalked forward, leaning in to whisper the last part in Links ear. "When I'm finished with you you'll know who's in charge." Link shivered at that and flinched away from the demons touch. He was way too close for Link's liking, he wouldn't even let his friends this close to him yet alone people who creeped him half to death.

Ghirahim chuckled and teleported back, Flaying out his arms as his cape and hair flicked backwards. "But what fun is it beating a chained up victim?" He asked, a crooked smile tugging at the edge of his lips, "No I don't want to just best you once, I want to best you over and over again until you know just as much a me that I leave no room for defeat. His gaze softened as he teleported again. Appearing at the top of the face like structure that Link had stopped this cursed water flowing from earlier.

With a click of his fingers the chains around Link dissolved, making tiny little cuts in his clothing as the sharp edges pushed against his tunic and disappeared behind him. Link fell to his knees, rubbing his hands and wrists before pushing up on his feet. Swaying slightly at the sudden blood rush before glaring at Ghirahim. "What are you doing?" He asked, knowing he probably shouldn't be second guessing a chance for escape.

"Oh you'll see." Ghirahim said, he was too far away to see but Link could _hear_ the smile in his voice. The diamonds rearranged behind Link, snaking out all of a sudden and shackling his leg with a new chain, but unlike the others this one had a key hole and gave him a lot more space to move. Link guessed he could easily move around the platform he was on but doubted he'd be able to move any further than that.

A key appeared in the centre, the shiny surface probably the only clean thing in this cavern. Link looked at it doubtfully, if Link guessed right then that should be the key that would unlock his chains but why would Ghirahim give it to him? Link took an unsure step towards it and when nothing happened he staggered forward in a hurry, tripping over the chain around his foot slightly.

But of course it wasn't that easy. Cursed Bokoblins rose from the ground, a boney arm stretching up and clasping around Links chain and he fell to the floor. He stretched his arm out for the key finding he was just out of reach before one of the bokoblins bit into his leg and he cried out in pain. He turned to face them, kicking it away as he stood up. The bokoblins stumbled towards him and with no shield or Fi there was nothing that made them hesitate to attack.

One jumped out at him and Link reacted as if he had his sword. He swung his fist towards the bokoblin and it staggered back before falling over. Without a sword he couldn't finish it off and it got back up again in what could be called determination if the undead creature was capable of feeling such a thing. Link swung another punch, knocking one into the water and smiled slightly before another bokoblin bit into his shoulder. A vein opened up and blood flowed freely from the wound. The surrounding bokoblins eyes widened and they practically ran forwards.

They bit into his skin, 5 or more bokoblins at a time and Link fell backwards, his torso hanging freely over the cursed water below. His hat slid on his head, nearly falling off and where the tip touched the water it blackened, the fabric dying and splitting off into damaged curls. Instead of worrying Link used to opportunity to knock some of the bokoblins into the water. Rolling back on to secure ground before pushing the other two in. He rolled up into a crouched position before trying to stand.

But he faltered and fell straight back to the floor. Agonising pain made its way through his body and when Link glanced at one of the multiple bite marks over his body he could see why. Strange black coils were seeping into his wounds making them larger and deeper and prolonging pain. Link moaned as he supressed a cry of pain. More cursed bokoblins were rising from the ground and he was in no position to fight them off.

He locked onto the key. A boney hand rose up beside it and he was determined to beat it to the key. He crawled forwards, wincing as he went and glad he hadn't bothered to try and stand. The bokoblin snaked its fingers around the key as Link dove for it. He pried open the fingers, getting an equal grip on the key before looking up at the bokoblin.

But it wasn't a bokoblin. It was a half dying version of someone very familiar.

Zelda.

He flinched back, leaving the key alone and as he did he looked at all the other supposed bokoblins. half rotting images of his closest friends and teachers from the academy stumbled towards him. It was a cruel trick. It had to be. But Link couldn't bring himself to fight them and simply stumbled backwards.

A deep chuckle came from far behind him and Ghirahims booming voice rang out. " Giving up the fight already Link, don't you want your freedom?" The words sunk in deep and Link stared at the staggering figures. They were just fakes, they weren't real, all he had to do was push one into the acid like water and he would get his freedom . And he could use that very freedom to save the real versions of the people that stumbled towards him. It seemed like such a logical decision and he should of been able to do it but instead he sat there, unable to back away further and unable to bring himself to attack. _'Zelda' _was the first to reach him and unlike himself _'she' _made no hesitation to bite into his flesh.

His scream mixed with Ghirahims laughter as he sat on the ledge of the face shaped rock watching the events. Ghirahim was only starting to have his fun and he looked forward to quite a bit more before he used the boy to lead him to the real spirit maiden.

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><p><strong>Ok so not really torture but still fabulously evil right? :D I only plan to have 2 more torture chapters (3 tops) before I move on with the plot but first I thought I thought I could treat us to some good old fashioned torture. For this chapter I used the cursed bokoblins (because henslight seemed to want some more of that) And for my next twothree chapters I thought I would use the suggestions of my reviewers as its your story guys! I just write it :] **

**As always please read and review every review gives me the motivation to continue so the more the merrier! Feel free to leave any comments in a review, I promise I won't bite (No such promise from my pet bokoblins though) **

**-Nicolette x**


	6. A little pain will go a long way

**My God guys! The reviews are in the 20's! :D I love you all I really do! Massive thanks to Vann-Chan, Roowbin, ShatteredShaphire, Eyalane and WolfRunner326! Wolfrunner326 and Roowbin are my loyal reviewers but it was so nice to see Vann-Chan, ShatteredShaphire (sorry to hear about your internet troubles, glad to see you back :D) and Eyalane review again! As well as getting a story alert from LEva114. Glad to see you enjoy my daily updates, trust me when I say I enjoy updating this story hopefully as much as you guys enjoy reading it!**

**I'm glad to see Vann-Chan liked the idea of half dead zombie friends and teachers :) I was really unsure of it and instead of wasting time stalling I pressed published closed my laptop and ran away because I didn't know what else I could write instead.**

**Good to see some torture ideas coming in! After this chapter I have 1 possibly 2 more torture chapters coming depending on how much torture you guys would enjoy so please leave any ideas you have that you would like to read! This chapter I have taken Eyalaine's torture idea of using "Links stuff or the weird water." I equally loved Roowbin's suggestion of having Link nearly escape but have decided to use that in my last torture chapter (You know as a spur for Ghirahim to see his fun's over and that he needs to start getting information from Link!)**

**- Reviewed**

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><p>It hadn't taken long for Link to pass out. Every now and then stabs of intense pain would bring him back to his senses, but not long enough to remember what was going on and he had quickly fallen back to sleep. Whatever Ghirahim had been doing however eventually stopped and this time Link woke up naturally.<p>

He ached everywhere. His body was in a pained and confused state. Parts of his skin were freezing cold from being pressed against the stone floor or simply from catching the chilled drift that ran through the rocks down here. Most of him however was warmed by a dull ache of pain. Link had thought it wasn't that bad at first but when he tried to stand the achy areas he tried to use sprang back into agony and he collapsed, holding his side and moaning.

His normal healthy pale skin was covered in black and green- blue bruises. The areas of his skin that had been lucky enough to remain undamaged were paling by the hour from their lack of exposure to sunshine and the chilly temperature.

Link took in a deep breath, moving up enough to come to a sitting position against the wall his foot was still chained to. He cried out as the bite marks flared up and breathed heavily when the pain subsided. He had the uncontrollable urge to poke one of his bruises to see how much it hurt but his aching arms were simply not up to the effort. Ghirahim could have dropped his sword and shield straight in front of him at this point and he would most likely not even reach for it.

Why bother? It was just a cruel game for his amusement. Like setting up painful, impossible challenge for a ant and watching it squirm as it tried to make its way forward but undoubtedly fail. Glancing around Link noticed just how empty the place was. It wasn't just Ghirahim that was gone, the bokoblins were also nowhere to be seen. The void spaces they normally occupied around the curved surface of the platform he was on making the room feel a lot bigger then usual. And making him feel a lot smaller

The water level had risen. The waterfall he had sealed shut who knows how long ago was now open and supplying fresh cursed water into the area. It bubbled as it made contact with the stone platforms and lily pads, small tendrils of smoke coming off the objects as their edges blackened.

Wincing, Link reached into his adventure pouch to see all his items had been taken. The only thing Ghirahim had bothered to leave him with was an empty bottle and he couldn't do much with that other then catch air. Which he was far too sore to do. Link placed the bottle back into his pouch and pushed up on his arms to stand up. Everywhere exploded in fiery pains but Link simply gritted his teeth and did his best to ignore it. The pain was bearable, if only just, and Link stood up, staggering towards the centre of the platform and peering around the edge.

The key to his shackle was long gone, but he hadn't expected it to still be there anyway. It was only a small thing, and not really something to be thankful for but Link guessed if he was to be optimistic he could thank Ghirahim for giving him so much space to move. He wouldn't do that of course, it was just stupid and even if Ghirahim did take him seriously he would only make it his job to shackle him up in a small space again.

He walked to the platform edge, The shackle digging into his ankle as warning that he couldn't go further. Link glanced down at the bubbling water that killed everything it touched. Except bone. Bones seemed to be the only thing that survived here but that wasn't much of an accomplishment because they were just bones, remnants of the living, a sign of death more then a sign of survival.

Bones glided around the waters edge and if Link wanted to he guessed he could of reached down and touched it because the water had risen so high. Too high in fact. Glancing around Link noticed the absence of earlier platforms that he had used to cross the smaller sea of cursed water and realised why no one was here. Ghirahim had moved them all to safety and left him to burn in the acid like water.

He backed away from the edge as a bubble of gas popped on the surface of the water, sending a small stream of purple liquid across the stone. Smoke bellowed off the small path it left and Link could hear the sizzle as the rock foamed beneath his feet. The stream collected in a small puddle in the centre that was now growing incredibly fast. Part of Link's chain burned in the puddle, the second it broke the whole chain disappeared into diamonds and Link was free.

But that wasn't exactly a good thing right now. All platforms around him had sunk and Link guessed even if they hadn't he would of never made the jump. Link shuffled away from the water and back to the wall he had been chained to. Smoke drifted his way and he tried his best not to breathe it in. As he watched the puddle spread he had no idea of what he would do. Being the ant that was trapped in the impossible obstacle he had no choice but to plead to the one who had been cruel enough to trap him here.

"Ghirahim!" He shouted, his voice ever so strained, but as his voice warmed whatever strain there had been left and he shouted again.

"Ghirahim!" The demon appeared in a shower of diamonds, standing tall in front of Link on a make shift diamond platform about 10ft off the ground Link stood on. "You called." He purred, a smug smirk tugging at his lips.

"The water." Link panted. "It's rising."

"I'm fully aware of that." Ghirahim stated almost bored and Link retorted.

"You can't just leave me to burn."

A sadistic smile spread across his face. "Oh sky child but I'm not leaving you to burn, I'm watching you burn." Link froze underneath him. He stared at the water that was inches away from his boots and looked back to Ghirahim. He was at a loss for words, he didn't want to physically beg to be helped but when he thought of how to get out of this that was the only solution that crossed his mind. Help. And he hated the fact that for once he was in a situation where he couldn't simply help himself and move on.

The hesitation was exactly what he hadn't had time for and before Link knew it smoke billowed up from his boots as the outside layer of brown leather was burned away effortlessly, small drops of water got into his feet and he hissed in pain, backing to his tip toes as the tips of his toes burned lightly. Not that the extra centimetre made any difference. Links toes blackened and burned and Link let out small light shouts before screaming slightly and then full on.

His feet felt as if they were being torn at in every direction and Link couldn't hold his weight and slipped into the puddle of water. The green fabric of his tunic sizzled and burned black and the backs of Links legs were exposed. His back only protected because of the wall that he had slid down behind him. Link screamed in pain, wanting to thrash out, to squirm away from the pain but he knew he couldn't. He was frozen to the spot. Arms trashing above his head as he attempted to squirm back out of the water.

Ghirahim didn't laugh he simply smiled at the young boy in front of him. Powerless. Weak. Everything he knew he already was but just hadn't seen. Ghirahim wanted him to learn that he was stronger, that he had always been stronger and always would be and that if he ever found himself facing Ghirahim again that he should beg and plead for mercy instead of fight. That's exactly what he was waiting for, a beg or a plea. A 'make it stop Ghirahim.' or maybe if he was lucky even a please. But none came. He was clearly in pain but he was fighting it and that was exactly what Ghirahim wanted to teach him was pointless.

Ghirahim growled and teleported the boy onto the platform he rested on. The boy lay helplessly on the diamond floor, feet and legs a blackened mess that prevented him from walking. He still screamed but they weren't raw anymore. He only had the fading effects of pain now and Ghirahim waited as long as he possibly could whilst being so aggravated with the boy. When the boy's screams turned to heavy breaths and pained moans he strutted over to the boy, pulling him up by the hair and staring directly in his strained blue eyes.

"What? No begging? Do you enjoy the pain?" He questioned the child, voice slightly raised in his early frustration.

"I'd never beg for your help." He spat with what little strength he had before crying a little in pain as Ghirahim strengthened his grip on the boy and raised him ever so slightly off the ground by his hair. "Wrong answer." He snarled and threw the boy across his makeshift diamond platform. He hit the ground, crying out when his fresh wounds hit the floor with large force. "You'll see sky child, I'll teach you." He ranted whilst stalking towards the boy, the platform behind him fading and reforming behind Link.

The boy tried to roll over and stand but Ghirahim kicked him back over, winding him before trapping him under his foot like the vermin he was. "You need to learn your place, I am a **Demon Lord** and you should treat me as such! He increased the force of his foot ever so slightly before continuing. "You need to learn how to beg boy because I will make you beg, I will shatter whatever you find the courage to fight with and reduce you to the begging vermin you are." He didn't shout, he didn't have to. No amount of shouting could have produced more venom than the coldness of his voice right now.

Link said nothing. Did nothing and neither did Ghirahim. He just lay there until Ghirahim calmed down and when he did he lowered his face behind his hair and smiled. "Ever so sorry, just thought I'd make my intentions clearer."

He flung his hair back all of a sudden and that crazy sadistic cheer returned to his voice. "Sleep now sky child and we shall try again tomorrow." Without a further word Ghirahim kicked him straight in the head and Link blacked out.

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><p><strong>Yeah for rage! Fabulous Ghirahim rage! Hope you like it; I hope Link suffered enough for you! I look forward to all your wonderful reviews and the butterflies they bring me.<strong>

**- Nicolette xx**


	7. Burn baby burn

**Tadaa! Chapter 7! This of course marks this stories one week anniversary! :D Now let me say you guys really are amazing! Not only did I get 4 fabulous reviews from WolfRunner326, Roowbin, Eyalane and ShatteredShaphire but last night when I went to bed bummed out because I couldn't update I woke to find 3 more fantastic reviews from increak96, Sailioka and RegularGirl! You guys really are amazing with your constant reviews and I must thank you for keeping me motivated as well as letting me know you are enjoying yourself!**

**-Reviewed**

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><p>Ghirahim thought a change of scenery was in order. The painful possibilities that could be exploited down in the basement where only limited to begin with and Ghirahim wanted to save the best it had to offer for last. Ghirahim didn't even have to bother re-chaining Link as he searched the temple for inspiration. His legs, if they could still be called that, were blackened burnt wrecks that Ghirahim would inevitably have to fix sooner or later, but for now they would be kept that way. No chance of escape when you can't even stand.<p>

The temple above the ground was an entirely different place. Delicate designs were carved into every piece of stone and if you took the time to examine them you could easily learn the secrets of this place. Ghirahim teleported to the top of the Buddha head. He had visited this area of the temple earlier but before then he hadn't exactly known where it was heading. He knew it had to been important or the stone tablets here wouldn't have guided Link around the temple in search of a key to get here.

Now he understood however. His fingers clicked and the whip that he had removed from Link before their earlier session together appeared in his hand. He took a while to stroke the fine surface of the weapon. This had been by far the most amusing thing to find on the boy and the weapon he looked forward to using this the most out of all the items he had taken from the child. He whipped it out to the side and the glowing ball at the end came to life as the fine strip cracked through the air.

The ball curled onto the handle of some turning device and when Ghirahim pulled back the weapon it screwed upwards, causing the whole building to shiver slightly. Ghirahim smiled and quickly whipped at the other devices causing the building to tremble. Once the last screw was lifted the shakes became much more violent and the building began to rise incredibly fast. The screws gave passage to further clogs and the structure rose higher then it was previously able to.

The building slotted into place and Ghirahim couldn't help but smile at the view before him. Oh he and the sky child were going to have loads of fun up here. Well he was. The sky child would hopefully continue to have one of the worst experiences of his life.

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><p>The ground shuddered violently. Small rocks were thrown up and down and the ground protested before cutting up in jagged shards. Link was jolted awake. His body thrown against the wall before being tumbled down to hit and rest at one of the sharp spikes that had been forced from the ground as it split. His head hit with great force but the pain hardly registered, the impact only really managing to wake him up. He placed a hand to his head and came back with a blood stained hand. The shaking suddenly cut off completely and Link managed to push himself into a sitting position.<p>

His body ached all over. His legs were completely numb. At first he presumed that was a good thing but as he thought it over fear pinged in the deepest part of his stomach. How badly would his legs of had to of been damaged to feel nothing? It was definitely enough to leave them unusable, only proved by the fact Ghirahim hadn't even bothered to chain him.

He glanced at the blackened state of his tunic and undergarments. He couldn't bring himself to look. If he did he would most likely just bring back up the contents of his stomach. However small that was. He had gotten used to the hunger pangs that he would get traveling, having no choice but to ignore them until he got the chance to return to Skyloft. He had gone days without food before but he had experienced no such problem with water.

There was no shortage or water around. The only place where water seemed to dry out was the Lanayru dessert and even then all he had to do was hit a time stone and find a small puddle of water. He had always carried bottled water in the dessert just in case but rarely needed it. But he hadn't been prepared for the dessert, he had prepared for the woods where the water was so plentiful the only water problem you could possibly face was swallowing too much water at once and choking ever so lightly.

Now his throat was bone dry and raw from his earlier screams. Ghirahim probably knew he would have to give Link food and water soon to keep his play thing working and Link would only hoped he would do it before he tortured him again. Screaming with a dry throat would increase his discomfort no matter what situation he was in. He barely had time to lick his lips moist before Ghirahim appeared, smiling madly and pulling Link up from the front of his tunic.

"Oh Sky Child you won't believe what I have found for you." He glanced down at his legs and his smile disappeared as he dropped the boy to the ground again. "Ah, I almost forgot about the state of your legs." He snapped his fingers and a bottled fairy appeared. Link could have confused the act for mercy if he hadn't known Ghirahim was only doing it so he could hurt him more. He let the bottle fall to the ground and as it smashed the fairy was set free. The first thing she headed for was Links legs. Circling around the pair of them and leaving a dusty trail that sparkled as it brought the long dead skin of Links legs back to life.

She tried to fly away after but Ghirahim caught her by the wings as she flew by his head. Twisting them to a useless mess effortlessly before tossing her tiny body into the water. If she screamed it wasn't heard over the sizzling of her body. Link stared in horror at the demon which honestly made him want to laugh. "Aren't you going to stand?" He asked. Link glanced at his legs; he swayed them slightly, quite surprised to see they were perfect again. But he made no move to stand at all.

Ghirahim sighed, his good mood from his early discovery gone as he grabbed the boy by his tunic. "That wasn't a request." he hissed before the world turned to diamonds. Link watched as Ghirahim and he remained whole, the world tearing apart into diamonds bit by bit. Link wondered if Ghirahim was teleporting the whole room but couldn't think why he would do such a thing. As the diamonds rearranged into the structure of another room entirely however he realized he had done the opposite. He had transported both of them.

Ghirahim let Link go and he staggered back but for the first time in a long while he didn't collapse. Instead holding his ground and straightening. He was in a hostile position. Legs wide and body angled even though he had no weapons to make the gesture even the slightest bit threatening for the demon. Ghirahim merely rolled his eyes and turned, walking towards the giant door that Link soon realized was the only exit.

Being treated like there was no need to be concerned about him or his actions made part of Link twist in annoyance, he wanted to run up to Ghirahim, tackle him from behind and show him that he was as big a problem without his sword as he was with it. But he didn't. Mainly because all that would achieve was a pissed of Ghirahim but partly because he knew Ghirahim was way too fast for such a thing to work.

Just as Link was relaxing Ghirahim disappeared again without any warning and he tensed again. He didn't know what to expect, he cautiously walked towards the door. Metal body parts where scattered everywhere, the only one he could actually recognize was a face. Why was Ghirahim so exited about a broken robot?

Where _was _Ghirahim?

He felt a hand touch his shoulder and push him into the room. It wasn't hard but enough to make him stumble and he kicked one of the body parts, which then glowed a faint orange as it rolled towards the head. The doors to the room shut behind him and Ghirahim teleported on top of the metal head just as the chunk of metal Link had stumbled into crashed against it. The lights on the top of the head light up and Ghirahim smiled.

The metal parts around the room slowly started to shift towards the head and latch on, the small chunks connected into arms that raised the structure and formed a cage like stomach. It didn't move though. If it was meant to Ghirahim most likely broke it to fit to his needs. That was probably why it had been scattered in pieces around the place. "Isn't it beautiful?" Ghirahim purred before disappearing and appearing again behind Link. "I thought it would make the perfect cage for you." He whispered into Link's ear before pushing him into the cage like part of the stomach and sealing it shut.

Link eeped in surprise as he was pushed into the small metal cage, finding barely enough room to turn around in the small space as Ghirahim slammed the bars shut. The demon grinned at him before the world around them disappeared into diamonds and Link knew they had teleported. Link couldn't see where they were now but it was a lot darker in this room then the last. Ghirahim clicked his fingers and Links sword appeared in his hand, still flashing as Fi tried to reach him.

Link slammed into the bars glad to see his sword and to see that Fi was still safely inside. "Fi!" he shouted but she couldn't talk to him if he wasn't touching the sword. Ghirahim ignored the flash, raising the sword upwards and as it collected the light he smiled at Link, a cruel smile promising pain. "If I do say so myself this is my most brilliant idea yet." He slammed the sword down against something Link couldn't see before snapping it away again. Blistering heat spread across the metal and Links freshly healed skin began to burn again. He cried out as a green flame engulfed the cage he was him. Screaming as the blistering heat that raised uneven burning lumps across his skin.

He was being burned by the very flame he had come here to collect. Ghirahim laughed loudly for a while before bringing a hand to his mouth to quiet himself. "All you have to do is say please Link and I can snap you out of there." He purred, stalking as close as possible without burning too. Link shook his head as he screamed, he wouldn't beg to him ever. But his body was disagreeing, the sheer amount of pain blurring his senses. His head shook once in agreement before he forced it to disagree again. And if he hadn't been screaming at the top of his lungs he guessed he may have actually said please.

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><p><strong>Well, that is probably the most creative thing that's popped into my mind so far. Is it weird that the most creative things in my mind are torture? Meh looks like me and Ghirahim are fellow sadists. Hope you all enjoyed! 12 more torture chap left guys so please leave ideas in reviews! increak96 I will very much take your torture suggestion in for next chapter it's just I already had this chapter written to be posted yesterday and I was unable to! :(**

**Please read and review and happy 1 week anniversary! Have some cake! **

**-Nicolette xx**


	8. Ray of oppourtunity

**Hadn't really expected to get any reviews since most of you guys seem to review when its 2/3am over here But I got a whopping 8 reviews! I know most of these were from the same people but thanks Eyalane and ShatteredShapire, Wolfrunner326 and increak96! ****And thanks and welcome to Princess-Of-Your-Doom95 who left half of those reviews! I can tell I'm going to like you! Thinks for your nice long reviews and I'm so glad to see you love my story that really does make me feel alot better.****Also big thanks to Icecreak09, Romani-chan and KasuKasu for favouriting or subscribing! (I know others of you did this and extra thanks to you guys as well!)**

**- Reviewed**

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><p>Looking at the boys skin was disgusting. The bloody raw flesh was all raised and jagged, peeling away in multiple places and bleeding in most others. It was the complete opposite of his own smooth skin, his pale complexion incapable of being in such a mess as Link's was now. The demon smiled as he peeled away the last of Links still burning tunic. He wasn't particularly fond of doing such tasks himself but there were some things bokoblins just couldn't do no matter how much you threatened them.<p>

He didn't have to do it he thought. But if he didn't the burning tunic would of continued to burn him and there was so fun to be had with a dead sky child. No way to get information either. The dead were incredibly shy when it came to speaking. Besides how was Ghirahim meant to use his new favourite weapon if the sky child had no free skin? It occurred to Ghirahim that maybe he should heal the skin again but decided that wouldn't be needed.

Its not like the flame had had direct contact with his skin. No the cage he had been in had shielded him from the bare flame, but the cage had also been made of metal. And metal gets very hot when heated as Link had found out earlier. Yet still the child hadn't pleaded. He had saw the willpower in his eyes fading, saw his physical and mental feelings clash but it hadn't been enough. The boy had chosen to stay in that burning cage until he had passed out. Ghirahim guess he should be outraged, but the fact the child was getting weaker was progress no matter how slow and nothing to get annoyed over.

The Sky child stirred as Ghirahim peeled off the last part of his shirt. Hissing as blistering parts of his skin that had been healing around thin strands of the shirt were ripped open again. Ghirahim couldn't really sympathise with the situation, and even if he could, he wouldn't of any way. That boy deserved it. Every last bit of it. Ghirahim peered at the whip in his hands and then at the boys back. A thought clicked in his head and he vanished as Link turned to look at where he had been stood.

Links skin burned, the hypersensitive flesh that was underneath the peeling skin stung as it struck the ground and Link hissed again. The cool stone floor helped to cool down the burning sensation he felt but the pressure it put on the wounds was too much to reduce the pain he was in. He swore Ghirahim had been there. Guessing his mind had probably just been playing tricks. Great he had been here .. how long? ... and he was already insane. Well paranoid was probably a better word. Link didn't like the pain by any means. He didn't resist Ghirahim because he liked the torture he resisted Ghirahim because of his dignity. Link didn't have much. His dignity was it really and he refused to have it taken.

Besides if Ghirahim saw he could get something out of Link. Even if it was only the tiniest word that would give him all the knowledge he needed to know that with work he could get whatever he wanted from Link. And if he allowed that to happen he knew he would never get out of here until he gave the demon Zelda's location and how to get there.

Link swallowed. The tiniest amount of saliva making its way to his dried up throat and getting stuck half way down. The whole thing caused a lot more pain then it eased and Link realised he desperately needed water.

Diamonds appeared right in Links face, turning to a pair of white booted feet and Link didn't even bother looking up, he just tucked his head lower, refusing to make eye contact. "It's polite to look up to your superiors boy." Link didn't look up. Even if he wanted to the burns on his neck would mean he couldn't.

Instead in a raspy dried up voice he replied "Manners have certainly not been a big part of this so far." It was very strained, and he hardly recognised it as his own voice, he coughed trying to clear his throat but it didn't work. Ghirahim growled, hitting his whip hard on the ground to draw Links attention to it. The stone it touched smoked ever so slightly and Link just knew he had dipped it in that cursed water. He tensed his back, he could see where this was going. Ghirahim didn't growl for no reason.

The whip came down hard on his bare back, tearing apart his already peeling burnt skin and creating deeper wounds in the sensitive skin underneath. If he though lying on it had been painful he needed to change his perception of pain. This was beyond agony and Link cried out, not stopping when the whip was gone. The cursed water seeped into his wounds, burning the muscle underneath and he shouted out in pain. The raw pain from his wounds caught on the sides of his dry throat making it feel like his insides where being scraped against sandpaper.

It didn't stop after one lashing. Link screamed after every lash. Shouting a little louder before he returned to screams of pain coming from his raw back and burning flesh. He had never been in so much pain before. Didn't know it was possible to feel so much pain and still be alive. His eyes were clenched shut as his mouth hung open, letting out his screams. He could feel his blood pooling around him, the warm liquid quickly turning cold on the stone. It was spreading fast and as it spread Link could only hope that soon it would be enough for Ghirahim to stop. He wanted him to stop. **Needed** him to stop. But the puddle spread and filled out as it became deeper, Link continued to scream. He had to do something. Say something or Ghirahim would kill him, and although Ghirahim very much wanted him dead Link knew he didn't want him dead now.

_**"Stop."**_ He barely managed to whimper. And Ghirahim did, he was surprised that Ghirahim had actually heard him but nowhere near as surprised as he was to feel him stop straight away. No sarcastic remark, no asking him to speak up. Link turned his head to look up at Ghirahim. He simply stood there. Whip lowered and trailing along the floor, a small red line imprinted on the stone underneath it. He was staring at him in almost disbelief. Had he gone too far without meaning to? The whip disappeared instantly and Ghirahim summoned a fairy. She glided towards Link straight away, fixing him up and floating off. Link had expected him to kill him but he hadn't.

Link was still in a lot of blood but he could feel his back was healed and that no more blood was coming from it. Link closed his eyes in relief that it was over, expecting Ghirahim to leave but Ghirahim just stood there. He didn't know Link had whispered stop. He had assumed he had heard it. Like his mind had been trying to get through to him and when it finally had it was so loud it hadn't even sounded like a thought anymore. He watched the boys back slowly raise up and down. He wasn't dead and he wasn't going to die.

But Ghirahim had still gone too far, he didn't care he had nearly killed the boy. No he'd be happy the day that boy dropped dead as long as he didn't need him anymore. Ghirahim needed Link and the fact he had nearly killed him before he had gotten what he had needed angered him. If he had died he'd have no lead. His thoughts turned to his master, his anger at being unable to resurrect him in his true form. Ghirahim couldn't fail him and the fact he had nearly lost all clues leading to his return angered him.

He was angry at himself for going to far. Ghirahim clicked his fingers and the blood on the floor disappeared. Ghirahim placed it in one of the bottles he had removed from Link and sealed it shut. He placed the bottle by the boys head. "You needed a drink." He snapped at the boy and the child opened his eyes.

"What is it he strained?" Hand reaching for the bottle.

"Does it matter?" Ghirahim snapped in annoyance. "It's a drink that you can keep down now swallow it before you die of dehydration." Ghirahim nudged it towards him with his foot before teleporting away. Link sat up. Holding the bottle between his hands and looking at it. Ghirahim wouldn't kill him, that was true. That didn't give Link any reason to trust him though.

Link took a little sip and wrinkled his tongue, nearly dropping the bottle in disgust. The coppery taste was undoubtedly the taste of his own blood. He couldn't drink his own blood! If Link left it there Ghirahim would surly have to give him water if he didn't want to him to die. But Links body had other ideas. Now it had gotten liquid it didn't care what type it was. It just wanted it. Soon all Link could think about was the blood in the bottle. His eyes fixed on the liquid, his mouth wetting itself with what little saliva it had left.

He took another his sip. He wrinkled his nose and nearly gagged but his body wasn't going to let him stop now. He downed about half the bottle in one swallow. The other half quickly following it. There was a brief moment Link licked the bottle to get more before his survival instincts died down and he remembered what he was drinking. He rolled the bottle away in disgust wondering how he had just let himself do that. But now it was over with he couldn't exactly regret it. With his back healed and his thirst quenched he was practically at full strength. Link pushed up to stand and glanced around. The room Ghirahim had pushed him through earlier was up ahead and he was still in the room with the flame. He quickly realised there was no more doors but he didn't let that dishearten him.

Ghirahim had to get up here somehow and he was going to figure it out.

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><p><strong>Yeah, *cough* Ghirahim went too far, Link nearly broke but Ghirahim didn't realise so shh don't tell! :P As you can see increaks suggestion works a treat right after the earlier chapter and the sadist in me found this so easy to write! Roowbins earlier suggestion for Link is very well going to happen soon (and if you don't know what that suggestion is I'm not saying a word) :P Hope you guys like this chapter, hope the two chapter thing isn't too much! I'm just trying to make it up to you!<strong>

**-Nicolette :D x**


	9. Last Hope

**Hey guys! Welcome to chapter 9 of Tainted Tale! (Nearly 10!) Now I'm starting to write this at 2:30 because I am ill as heck and I type as slow as a snail with a broken ... whatever they have for legs when I'm sick. I really hope it doesn't effect the quality of this chapter, just be prepared for a lot more typos then usual!**

**As always thanks for all your wonderful reviews! 8! Wow when did I start getting so many :D I mean seriously we went from being at 20 to 43 in 3 chapters! (Oh My God!) Big thanks to the wonderful Roowbin, increak96, ShatteredShapire, Princess-of-your-doom95, Eyalane, WolfRunner326 and Dark Link! I'm so glad to here you all love it so much I really am! I'm also relieved that the blood thing gave you the shivers, I was afraid it might be a bit to much but obviously not!**

**I also don't do this often as I like to give everyone equal feedback but I would just like to say an extra thanks to Roowbin. She/He has been reading this since the start and I'm so glad they enjoyed it enough to stick around. But you also said this is your favourite Zelda story, and you really don't know how much that meant to me, so thank you so much :)**

**As always sorry for spelling/grammar errors! Nintendo owns everything, except my flu. I got that all by myself :P**

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><p>Link had been trying to find his tunic for the last five minutes. It's not that he was going blind or anything. He could clearly see the crumbled, torn and bloody remains of his green tunic on the floor. (Although it was now more red and black from the trauma he had endured in it then its earlier green colour.) He had simply refused to believe that it was his. It was a stupid thought, I mean who else could it belong to? It's just Link knew he had been through a lot in the past few days. Every burn and tear on that tunic he could pinpoint to when he must of gotten it he just couldn't believe he had been through that much.<p>

After finding nothing else that he could even think about putting on his back he approached the tunic. He grasped it firmly and saw as black specks of burned material fell to the floor as he shook it out. Most of it was black, and if it wasn't it had been stained a green-red. Link put a hand inside it, tracing up the cuts and scrapes and putting his fingers through the holes in the tunic. His own hand reached for his back. Most of it was smooth now but if he placed a hand where one of the bigger gashes on his tunic was he could feel even smoother skin. The skin of a scar. Unable to grow hair or repair of any other things the rest of his skin could do it just sat there. Distinctly different.

Link didn't want to think about what he would of been like without the help of two fairies. For a start he wouldn't be standing right now but that's all he let himself think about. He was getting out of this temple today, all these injuries, all this torture he could put behind him and forget. He could go back to Skyloft, buy a new shield and bottles and pay for the whole bowl of heart potion so he could go and have a nice long bathe in it and sleep. Ghirahim would still have Fi, and all his items but it wasn't like he could do anything about that right now. He would just have to get a training sword, ask the mechanic in the plaza to replicate as many of his items as he could remember and ask for the assistance of his fellow knights.

Then he could come back and get Fi and continue in his search for the flames. Slipping back into his tunic he noticed has much bigger it was. Links ribs poked out against the fabric when he raised his arms to get into it and Link felt a little sick at the sight. He added 'stuff his face' to the mental list of things to do in his head and proceeded to the room on the opposite end of the floor he was on.

Now he had time to look around he recognised the place. The circular stone on the floor had the same design as the circular door he had been trying to find the key to and Link was convinced he was on top of the Buddhas head. Glancing at the pillars around him , he took notice of a rotating switch that Ghirahim had probably opened with his whip. He wouldn't need his whip to close them back in though and so he got to work, rotating the switch on the first pillar and then the second and the third until finally he was finishing off the fourth. He glanced down at stone. Had he done anything?

The ground beneath his feet rumbled slightly and he stepped off the stone as it glided open. Bingo.

Link peered down at great drop beneath him. The floor at the bottom imitating him not just because it promised pain if he fell but also because of the floor it opened at. Well the floor it had opened at. The building would of had to rise to get to a new floor and as Link remembered how big the gap above the Buddhas head had been he wouldn't of been surprised if that bottom floor now opened to the main floor. The floor with an exit.

Link grabbed for his sail cloth and folded it open. Gutted to see this also had been stained in his blood. The one thing he had of Zelda's and Ghirahim had ruined it. Ghirahim obviously hadn't meant to but it still angered Link. A tear could be sown back together, a single burn in the corner replaced. But his blood would never wash out. It may of done if the cloth was any other colour but the cloth was white.

Ignoring his annoyance for the moment Link sat down on the edge and slipped off, opening the sail cloth almost as soon as he had fallen off to make sure he had a gentle landing at the bottom. He felt incredibly fragile, as if if someone came and patted him on the back he would crumble to pieces and he guess the only person he could blame for that was Ghirahim.

Link opened the door to the bottom floor. Immensely relieved to see the floor he wanted. He peered around for any of Ghirahims minions before leaping across the two Lilli pads in front of him, landing at the base of the steps led led to the temple door. A great instinct to just run up the steps and run as fast as possible coursed through Link but he ignored it. He wanted to be absolutely silent. If Ghirahim caught him now ... No Ghirahim wouldn't catch him now... but if he did Link could only blame himself for giving himself away because of noisy feet.

The lanterns that had lite these stairs where blown out now, Link expected to see the light coming in from outside but never did. As he continued walking he wondered if he might be in some sort of trap of Ghirahims. Walking up an endless passage in the dark. Then he walked straight into stone. Links nose clicked and warm pain spread underneath it. He grabbed it quickly, only managing not to cry out because he had felt much worse then that lately and he was used to it.

Getting used to pain was never a good sign. Once Link let go of his throbbing nose he searched the walls in panic. Surely he had just swerved into the wall, he couldn't be at the door. If he was at the door then the door was closed and if the door was closed... he was in a lot of trouble right now. Link turned and ran down the stairs as quietly as possible. There had to be another exit. Another way out somewhere. Link glanced for a hidden passage, unable to check his map because it had been burnt to ash under his tunic.

He couldn't see any. He slipped down to the water, diving in when suddenly a hand grasped his leg. His head missed the water and swung back round, narrowly missing the edge of the platform he had just dived off. Link opened his eyes to see who had him. He already knew really but he was still terribly disappointed when his eyes revealed it had not been a bokoblin that grabbed him.

"Well, well, well." Ghirahim purred, but Link could hear the strain in his voice as he tried to control the anger. "Here I was deciding that after our last visit you had suffered enough but obviously not if your still cocky enough to try and escape." Ghirahim wasn't purring anymore, Link doubted he could with the amount of held back anger he could see drawn into the tension lines on the demons face. "Well if you want to go the the forest boy, I'll gladly bring you to the forest.

Ghirahim let go of his leg and he braced to hit the floor. But the floor tore into diamonds, rearranging into the pointed shape of grass and Link tumbled onto it painlessly. He was... outside? The grass here was soft unlike the sun deprived grass that grew in the temple and Link snuggled against it, letting genuine sunlight warm his back as he led there for a few careless seconds. Before realising it was Ghirahim who had brought him here.

He jumped up, recognising the place immediately. This was the little hid hole Link had found one of the kikwis hiding in ages ago. The only difference was now diamond raised bars blocked the entrance and exit. He glanced at the tree. A deku hornets nest rested cosily of the branch he had knocked one of last time. The bees payed him no attention and Link was certain he was safe. His eyes never left the bees nest as he glanced for an exit. There was a bar by the corner that he may now be runty enough to fit through. He shuffled towards it and hoped it wasn't to close to their nest.

Deku hornets could easily be collected with a bug net and their poison was even used in some healing potions. But lucky him had no bug net and if he got stung by them now the dizzying effects on his brain would cause him to collapse.

But if the whole nest stung you the amount of a foreign element in your body could cause immense pain. There had even been a story of one boy in Skyloft who had been stung by the whole nest, his little body couldn't handle that much poison and he had died. There was a reason people told you not to throw stones at hornets nests.

And speaking of stones... A deku nut glided between one of the bars in the small enclosure and the deku nest swayed as it was hit. Link looked in panic to where the nut had come from in time to see a smirking Ghirahim click his fingers and teleport Links sling shot away. The sling appeared in the boys hand and the deku hornets saw it there before Link throw it away.

And they swarmed. Link ran between the gap in the bars, swishing the left half of his body threw the bars, face turned away from the swarm. But before he could squeeze threw his right side he was stung in multiple places on his side and arms. The pain caused him to tense and he fell back into the enclosure. Deku hornets swarmed around him, there content pricks did not hurt him but he was very aware of the pain their poison could cause. He laid on his back, kicking away dekus with his feet and shielding his eyes with his feet. He was actually doing well before a spasm erupted in his legs, forcing him to curl in in pain.

Shoots of pain swarmed threw his insides and he cried out when the worst of them hit. His legs were kicking out, hitting the odd one that tried to go for his face but most of them stung his back. The pain intensified and he felt like he was going to be sick. His stomach twisted and heaved but there was simply no food to be brought back up. His stomach erupted in a painful hunger pang like the rest of his body and he was almost scolding it mentally in his head.

_What a great time to pick stomach, lets add to the my pain shall me?_

Link moaned and cried and rolled in on his stomach as the last of the stings hit his back and he froze in is spot rocking every so slightly. Hornets could sting more then once but not until at least another hour after they had stung once. Link crawled to the gap in the bars, wiggling his front half through before his body erupted into more spasms, digging his skin into the bars. If he could wiggle through he could lay hidden in the bushes underneath until this passed. But as if some cruel trick of fate the second his body was about to fall down his eyes rolled up and he spasmed in pain again, so intense that he passed out. Still squished in the bars, in full view of Ghirahim when he returned to check on him.

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><p><strong>Is that close enough to freedom for you? :) So sorry if the ending feels rushed. I fell asleep half way through writing this chapter and when I woke up my head was so bad I hardly found the willpower to continue. Luckily I only had the torture to finish so that wasn't that bad to write (sadists FTW)<strong>

**I now have to sadly announce that this is the last torture themed chapter before I continue on with the plot. Links still going to be in pain and there will still be his torture in future chapters but the chapters will be more plot based then torture based. **

**Hope you enjoyed it! Please read and review whilst I sleep some more :P (at least there is one benefit to being ill!) **

**-Nicolette x**


	10. Monster Malice

**Chapter 10! Yeah my story has gone into the double digits! *Gives story cake* *sniffle* Your so grown up now! But there is no way I would of had the motivation to get it into the double digits without everyone who has subscribed and reviewed and favourited this story! Thank you all so much! (I mean come on the reviews are at 50!)**

**Big thanks to Rina (welcome new reviewer!), Sailioka, Dark Link , WolfRunner326, ShatteredShaphire and Roowbin for a further 7 reviews and to Royal9000 who subscribed to my story! **

**Now before I get on with the chapter I must confess I kind of lied when I said that chapter 9 was the last torture chapter for a while ... really it was the last mindless torture chapter for the while because as your about to read Ghirahim has painful ways of getting information! :P**

**Sorry for any spelling or grammar errors. Nintendo owns the world! ... Or at least they should do.**

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><p>Link didn't even have to open his eyes to know he was back in the temple. The cold wet stone that was pressing through the cuts in his tunic and the sounds of dripping sizzling water was plenty indication enough that he was back down in the basement of the temple. Right were all this trouble had started. If he ever got out of this he was sure as hell going to start listening to Fi a lot more. He wondered where she was, where Ghirahim teleported her to when he wasn't using her. He wondered if he kept her in the temple, if he did Link certainly regretted running off yesterday. He should of been looking for Fi instead, if he could just touch his sword he could let her out and she could send a message to scrapper.<p>

At least then people would know where he was and he could be helped.

Link was only a little sore at the moment. Poison was really only a thing that hurt when it was in effect so now all that was making him ache was the sting marks of the deku hornets. He obviously hadn't been killed by the swarm and Link didn't really know how he felt about that. Could you really feel relief to be alive when all that meant was more pain? He hadn't really expected to be killed by the poison though. Not only had he most likely kicked a good bit of the swarm away but he was also a lot older then the young boy who had been killed many years ago by the hornets which obviously meant his body could therefore handle much more poison.

But even though there was nothing stopping him getting up he didn't want to. Ghirahim always seemed to appear just after he would wake up and so he figured that if he pretended to still be asleep he would leave him alone.

Wrong.

"Aren't you going to get up?" That was the questioning voice of Ghirahim, Link couldn't quite track where he was led down like this but he imagined he was on some sort of ledge. Legs crossed and head resting on his hand in boredom. He sounded bored. Link scoffed and rolled over. To bad he could continue to be bored, Link really wasn't in the mood for these games today.

Ghirahim chuckled. Which was the completely opposite reaction Link was going for. "What? Tired of my games already? I guess that's ok, you certainly have but up more resistance then I thought possible out of a human." Link opened his eyes, sitting up and looking around until he spotted Ghirahim sat on a ledge, legs crossed like he had imagined. Now Link wasn't very good at reading between the lines but if he was right that meant Ghirahim was implying something that both confused him and made him happy.

"So no more torture?" The hopefulness in the words made Ghirahim laugh. "I have had my fun, may I even dare say I have had to much fun." Ghirahim uncrossed his legs and then disappeared. Appearing 10 feet away from Link suddenly standing. "Either way I need to get this information out of you before I either get carried away and kill you or one of your escape attempts actually works." The tone of his voice dwindled to being more serious at the end of the sentence and Link could tell Ghirahim still wasn't 100% happy with what he had tried to do yesterday.

Links heart sunk a little. Surely Ghirahim would try and get information from him the only way he knew how. Torture. But Link had been pretty good with his resistance so far and was determined not to tell Ghirahim a thing. If anything he was going to let the torture become another reason to not trust the demon. "I'm not going to tell you anything." Link bite back, clearing it up for Ghirahim that he hadn't turned into some hopeless wreck after one failed escape attempt.

"I know." Ghirahim said seriously. "Trust me, I got the picture that tortures not going to get anything out of you boy, but there is more then one way to get information from someone. He disappeared, appearing behind Link and resting his hands and chin on the boys shoulder. "Or should I say more then one way to get co-operation." Link flinched away from the demon, he didn't want to be touched, especially by him. He had grown used to the solitude over the past few days and that's how he found himself starting to like it.

"Torture or not your not getting anything from me." Link stated again, convinced the demon wasn't facing facts considering that Link was his only lead right now.

"Wrong." Ghirahim purred before glancing at one of the cursed bokoblins that lived down in the bottom of this cistern. "Tell me Link why do you think all these surface creature listen to me? Why would any creature serve someone they had just met so loyally that they were willing to die for them?" Link didn't know, he just assumed the creatures would follow anyone, they were incredibly simple minded after all, but even simpleminded people had varied opinions which got him thinking about why they would follow Ghirahim, and it confused him. Why would a whole species follow a demon with no questions asked?

"I don't know." Link mumbled and the demon glanced back to the sky child, hand held to his ear as he asked. "What did you say Sky Child, being mumbled at really isn't a thing I'm used to."

"I don't know." Link repeated louder, wondering what the point of the question was and how it could possibly have anything to do with the situation they were in. Ghirahim did that cruel smile of his that usually meant Link was about to be hurt and replied. "Let me show you."

He clicked his fingers and a cursed bokoblin appeared in front of the demon, the creature snarled at Link before turning to Ghirahim, as if he was looking for approval to attack. Ghirahim shook his head and the creature stayed still. Not moving toward Link unless Ghirahim changed his mind and gave it permission. When the cursed bokoblin turned his head from Ghirahim, the demon clicked his fingers again. Summoning his black rapier and striking the thing deep into the bokoblins chest. It flinched and opened its mouth but made no movement to try and escape like it would of if Link had tried to strike it.

Instead it stayed unmoving until it went limp, disappearing into purple smoke and leaving a smoking purple rock in its place that fell to the floor. Ghirahim clicked his blade away and picked up the rock. Smiling as it glowed in his hands. "This is the answer Link." Link glanced at the rock wondering what could possibly be so special about it.

"A rock?" He asked dumbfounded and Ghirahim shook his head at him. "No a crystal, an evil crystal which is very much an appropriate name." Ghirahim teleported behind Link, practically shoving the crystal in his face. Link didn't like the feeling it radiated, he couldn't describe it but he just got an overwhelming feeling to cringe away from it. "This crystal is basically a solid chunk of malice boy, when exposed to it for to long it can warp your thoughts, increase your evil desires and suppress your good intentions." Ghirahim chuckled lightly.

"Basically just what you need to co-operate." Ghirahim clicked the fingers of his free hand and the crystal glowed. Link tried to squirm away but Ghirahim grabbed him, holding him in place with a strength Link didn't know he had. The crystal floated towards Links collar bone and he squirmed, trying to avoid touching the crystal. But there was no where he could go, the crystal burned his skin and Link let out a cry of pain as the crystal burned away skin and muscle, nestling its way into his chest.

"Get it away!" He screamed and Ghirahim laughed. "Trust me you'll be thanking me for this tomorrow." The crystal burned in deep enough to be level with the rest of Links chest and Ghirahim summoned yet another fairy. The unsuspecting sprite healed over the skin, completely clueless to the fact that's exactly what she shouldn't of done before Ghirahim swatted her away. Link clawed at his freshly healed skin as if trying to open it back up. Ghirahim clicked his hands and makeshift chains snaked out of the wall, coiling around Links wrists and pulling him to the damp wall, his arms spread out so he could no longer claw at his chest.

"Now stop being such a drama queen." It was rich coming from the demon and he knew it but he couldn't help but smile at the boys reaction. "Come on it won't be so bad, you and me working as a team, and then once we get the spirit maiden I can kill you off so you don't have to live with the guilt, doesn't that sound better then torture?" Link shook his head, tears sparkling up his eyes. "No, I won't let that happen."

Ghirahim laughed at the boys pointless resistance, this wasn't a situation that resistance could get you out of, whether it took the crystal a day or a week it would eventually warp the boys motives without him even realising. All Ghirahim had to do was wait and soon the Sky Child in front of him would be begging to _**help**_ him. His cruel smile came again and he replied.

"But Link, there's nothing you can do about it."

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><p><strong>Bom bom bom! Ok big plot twist! Not sure if your all going to be willing to go along with this but I have had this planned since I posted chapter 1 so I couldn't just scrap it. :L The evil crystal you many or you may not already know is a real item you can get in the game that you can use to upgrade you bow and you bug net. Its description is that it is literally a 'chunk of pure, crystallised monster malice' and since malice is to be evil willed I just figured it had the effect to influence your will and make it all evil :D (which is why in the game I always run straight back to Skyloft and either get rid of them by upgrading or selling them :P)<strong>

**Hope you like where the plot is going :L I'm not to sure if you will but I hope you do.**

**Please Read and review with your thoughts! :D**

**-Nicolette**


	11. Crumbling Resolve

**(O.o) 1-14 reviews? That has to be like a record for me *hyperventalates* Breathe Nicole breathe. Thank all of you who reviewed so much! (64? Anyone else immedietly think of the nintendo 64 or did your minds wonder to 64 zoo lane)**

**Rina- I'm glad you liked that idea of an evil cryistal implanted in the skin :3 I'm rather sadistic like that. **

**Eyalane- Glad you like the twist! Don't worry I don't mind no review for chapter 9, I myself have internet troubles now and then so I would be a major hypocrete to judge.**

**increak96- The eunthusism in your review made me smile :3 I am loving all your ideas hope you don't mind if I steal a few and adjust them. As for Ghirahim being nicer I could totally see that happening without it being OOC, not overly nice though ( and deffienetly NOT yaio, don't mind a bit of yaio now and then but no way in hell I could write it.)**

**Inky- Yeah I have hooked another person :D If I ever go fishing I will spout my stories at the fish and see if it works on them. Glad you liked it and thanks for alerting :3**

**WolfRunner326- Yeah I know you off by heart now :D Glad to see I can keep ahead of you bright bunch, I thank my insanity and my sadistic creativity.**

**Princess-Of-Your-Doom95- Yes I to experience the annoyingness of iPods refusing to work :3 Your review also made me smile and giggle to! Glad you liked me using your idea. Sometimes I feel like I'm being uncreative when I do it but I like the feeling I can give my reiewers when I do it, like you have your part in the story (which you should since it's your story as well not just mine!)**

**Sailoka- :D Yes as you guessed having foreign thoughts in your head is not going to be a nice experience for Link, (and I must admit the evil part of me loves writing it) hehehe and yes I am devious by nature :3 **

**Leva114- I recognise your name! You haven't reviewed before but I'm sure you have alerted this story at one stage. Thank you for leaving a review. I completly agree with the whole evil in the name thing :P They say never judge a book by it's cover (but thats hard when words like evil are there)**

**ShatteredSaphire- What will happen to Link? :D Not entirely sure myself, I just sit down here and write whatever comes to my head first (If I spent to long obssessing over the plot I would never manage daily updates) However when I get a good idea I remember it and make sure to make subtle hints to it in the chapters before I drop it on you :P**

**Dark Link- EXITEMENT :D I know part of me feels sorry but putting Link threw all this ... I usually shut that bit up by putting him threw more rubbish! Evil nature :3 I love how you get so into my stories but please don't cry I didn't mean to make you cry :P *gives dark Link cookies and tissues* There is something I never thought I would do :D**

**Roowbin- Liked my plot twist hey? Just getting the subtle hint that you did :P (sarcasm, so hard to pick up on on the interweb) I'll try not to ever stop writing :P Only because reading that part of your review made me laugh :3**

**NeonDystortion- Do my eyes decieve me? The author of Mercilous reviewing my story :O *feels blessed* But I could say the same thing to increak96 about all her awesome stories. I'm so glad you like my torture ideas. Whilst reading stories like yours I would make sure I would go away and think up something creative so my story didn't seem to copy cat :3 **

**Shuzuka- Glad you liked the idea! :D And thank you so much for offering to Beta my story! It doesn't matter hopw many times I proof read I will always post a chapter look back threw it and see errors that I'm to lazy to log back in and edit out again. I really to appretiate the offer and I'm sure all my other reviewers will to!**

**Wow that was long I take it most of you will just read the comments I left for you but read the lot if you wish. I assume you know Nintendo owns it all so without futher stalling I begin now :3 (new favourite smiley btw)**

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><p>He could still feel it. And it was weird, it had long stopped hurting but he couldn't simply forget it was there. It made his chest feel <em>wrong<em>. Horribly wrong and he wanted it gone. He wouldn't let it change him, and for the sake of Zelda and everyone in Skyloft he _couldn't_ let it change him. But the aspect still terrified. The fact it could subtly warp his thoughts, change his opinions and beliefs bit by bit. It could change him into a different person without him realising and he didn't want to turn into what Ghirahim needed him to be.

Ever since their first meeting it had been Ghirahim who wanted to harm Zelda and him who wanted to protect her. She meant more then she should of to him, their friendship had been strong enough to get him through all of this, she gave him courage that he couldn't explain. It didn't mean he stopped fearing the things he thought, he was still terrified of most of them. But he would picture her face in his mind and he would fight, seeing that destorying that one monster was worth getting her back.

And the next monster he faced, and the next, and the next... he had killed countless numbers of multiple species and for what? When ever he did finally catch up with her she would run off again. And now she had trapped herself in the past where it was almost impossible to reach her. Only _almost_ though, if anyone could do this it would be him as he was the one getting all the help from the Goddess.

He knew that trapping herself hadn't exactly been her choice, Ghirahims interuption hadn't given her and Impa very little choice otherwise. But he couldn't help but feel a little betrayed. Zelda said this wouldn't be the last time they met. She had _promised_. But did she want him to come? Did she appretiate his efforts or did she find his interuptions annoying? After all it wasn't him that had been protecting her so far. Sure he gave her and Impa that chance to escape in Lanaryu but before then all he had done was show up to late.

Impa had said it herself. He had been late. He had failed. And if he needed more proof that he was a failure all he had to do was look around. How could he protect Zelda if he couldn't protect himself? They knew what he was going though and they didn't care.

**No. **He honestly hadn't just though that right? Was that crystal getting to him already? Was he really that weak of a person? Link didn't know whether he wanted it to be the crystal or not. If it was the crystal it meant he wasn't doubting himself, if it was it meant he was already falling victim to it. He lashed out at the chains that bound him. He didn't like having a split personality in his head. He hated having to guess what he was thinking. It was his mind, the one place no person should ever be able to alter.

He had doubted himself before of course. It was only natural to doubt you weren't perfect when you had such a huge task on your shoulders, so many people counting on you and so many people critising you. But he had never doubted Zelda. Should he? He didn't know what was happening to her, he just assumed she was safe. What if she had changed, what if she no longer wanted his help anymore? The thought made his mind race. He was sad and angry at the same time and he couldn't decide which emotion was his.

He had been angry at Impa before, for what she had said, But he had also been sad at Zelda for leaving him on so many occasions. It wasn't her fault, but Link could easily see how the feelings were connected.

He let out a slow, shakey breath. He glanced up to see if Ghirahim was anywhere in site and was glad that he wasn't. The last thing he wanted was to let him see that he was struggiling. At least thats the impression it would give. Link didn't think the crystal was working, he guessed the solitude had just given him time to thing that he had never had before and he had just gotten a mixture of past emotions.

Yes, that was it. It wasn't the crystal. Link wasn't going to let that crystal change him and it wouldn't either. All he had to do was stop thinking about it and he would be fine. Find something else to concentrate. His stomach growled and he looked down at his shrinking tunic.

He was hungry. He wanted food.

...

Ghirahim led across the rocky platform listening to the rattling of the boys chains from a position the child couldn't see him. He was glad to his little crystal was working, but he still had to be careful how he approuched it. As the crystal worked his magic he could easily stay the enemy along with Zelda. Watching the boy squrm was only going to give him reason to hate him and that was no good. He needed a way to get the boy on his side. Which meant he had to be _nice. _The thought made him cringe, but it had to be done. Link could hate Zelda all he wanted but if he still hated Ghirahim he would be getting no help.

He heard the boys stomach rumble and sat up on his ledge, ears pricked in attention. It rumbled again, conferming what Ghirahim already thought. The boy was hungry. Ghirahim smiled. Getting the boy some food and water wouldn't be to hard to do and it would get him instant points from the boy.

Snapping his fingers he disappeared to fetch the child some food.

...

Link kicked a nearby stone into the water and watched as it sizzled into smoke. It wasn't much but it certainly helped with Links thirst. Reminding his body that the water around him was in no way drinkable did help incredably with his thirst. There was no help for food though. Link was starving. He had never been so long without food and didn't know how much longer he could go. He had heard that you could survive months without food and bit his lip. That he certainly wouldn't enjoy.

He heard the sound of Ghirahim teleporting onto the platform he was chained to but he made no indication to look at him. Well he tried to, but the moment he smelt the food that must of appeare with him he couldn't help but look up. In the demons hands was 2 bottles of water. Clear water. As well as a plate of food. Vegetables and meat lined the plate and Link edged as far away from the wall as his chains would let him to see that the meat was chicken.

His favourite, but Ghirahim wouldn't of known that ... well shouldn't of anyway. But of course, as well as everthing else Ghirahim did, there had to be a catch. Link looked away from the food and water and glanced at him, narrowing his eyes slightly. "And what do you expect me to do for that." Link purposly phrased it as a question, any other way would of sounded like a plea and he didn't want to seem too desperate or Ghirahim would make what ever he had planned a lot harsher.

"Nothing?" Link was taken a back for a moment before remembering who he was talking to. Ghirahim wasn't a nice person and did nothing that didn't result in personal gain. "Is it poisoned." Link asked as Ghirahim placed the food down next to Link. Ghirahim laughed and nudged the plate forwards. "Can you honestly think of a reason to why I would poison you?"

He couldn't actually. Ghirahim needed him, the thought made Link sick but he guessed he could take it as reason enough to trust him for food. "Well are you going to unchain my hands?" Link ansked?

"Nope."

"How will I eat then?"

"I'll feed you." Link pulled a face and backed away from the food. There was no way he would let any one feed him. Ghirahim could of summounded Zelda to feed Link his food and he would still refused. Being fed meant you were incapable of doing it yourself. And Link hated being incapable.

"Couldn't you just unchain me." Link asked. Glaring at the plate of food, all appitite lost at the fact it would be fed to him.

"No." It was a quick reply and a solid one to. "I'm in the commanding seat here Link, I make the decisions. I either feed you or you can starve for another week."

Link didn't mind that, He wasn't going to die from a week without food. As long as Ghirahim kept the water where it was Link could find a way to drink it with his mouth. Ghirahim glanced at Link and he knew he wasn't going to go along with it ... try to show a brat some sympathy and this is what you get? But he didn't let his anger show, he needed to hadle this subtaly, giving the boy food would put him in his good books, setting him free would only encourage resistance..

"Fine." He clicked his fingers and the food disapeared along with the bottled water. "What." Link muttered as it vanished before looking back to him. "I can't go a week without water." He stated. But Ghirahim already knew that. "I know." He bluffed, if the boy thought Ghirahim would parch him then he would agree. He could feel it. The boy looked lost in thought as he considered the new offer. He shook his head and Ghirahim actually thought he was going to disagree before he muttered "fine, just let me drink by myself." Ghirahim smiled. He could live with that.

He snapped his finger and the food reapeared. He approuched the boy, readying a fork of chicken and potato. "Say aw." he mocked, immedietly wondered if that was going to far. The boy shot him a glare before looking at the fork. He hesitated before grabbing the food with his mouth, pulling it off the fork in seconds before eating it himself. He turned his head away from the demon to eat by himself, humiliation plastered on his face and Ghirahim smiled.

He was no good at being nice.

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><p><strong>Hmm, I'm not so sure about this chapter, it feels a bit slow (but then again I have been writing a lot of torture lately so maybe I am not the best judge) I'm also worried it may also be a bit out of character at the end :L But I couldn't not right that because as soon as I read the suggestion (from increak96) I feel in love with it :)<strong>

**Let me know what you think. I'm either going to have my mind put to rest or have a big challenge ahead of me.**

**-Nicolette x**


	12. Twisting thoughts

**Thank you so much for a further 8 reviews :D! Glad to see you still liked my last chapter. Thankfully most of you still found it in character but I think I'll go with Roowbin on this one and stay I still think it was a tiny bit OOC, but I don't regret it :D. At all **

**Just like to clear up with Roowbin that I do have a plot for the future :D Yeah me! Most of what I write I make up on the spot, but I have a solid plot in mind that I never allow myself to stray from so fear not :P! (yeah I'm in a dramatic mood, must be the exposure to Debbie the fabulous after nearly 12 days of writing about him :3) **

**Thanks to WolfRunner326, increak96 (who holy potato, has the same name as me :O TWIN! *runs with arms outstretched for hug*) Eyalane, ShatteredShappire, Princess-Of-Your-Doom95, Dark Link and Roowbin! :D I like to think of us as a great big mad family of torture loving maniacs :3 **

**Yeah I had sugar... can you tell :P**

**NINTENDO!**

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><p>Link sat with a bottle of water nestled between his knees. After Ghirahim had left him he had quickly drank the first bottle of water but he had decided to save this bottle for later. He was still thirsty but he didn't know when Ghirahim would give him more water so he wanted to save it for a later time.<p>

Although he had been a right pain about it Link couldn't help but feel a little grateful... if only slightly for the food. He felt a lot better now and he couldn't suss out why Ghirahim had done it. Ghirahim expected this crystal to work no matter what state Link was in so Link thought maybe he was just simply being thoughtful? Yeah he knew it was a long shot but his mind couldn't help wondering in circles.

Ghirahim was the only one actually thinking about his needs right now. He wasn't telling him to run off and do the impossible like the goddess and all her judging servants he was merely helping him along. Link frowned. It didn't make sense at all. The goddess hadn't helped him, Impa hadn't helped him, and sure Ghirahim had been the one to do this to him but Link could see where he was coming from. He didn't know how far he would of gone to get information. Maybe he would of gone as far as Ghirahim.

A tickling feeling radiated from under his chest where the crystal lay. It didn't hurt anymore. It just tickled and Link wished he had a free hand to scratch it when it did. But he didn't mind it now. He knew it wasn't working. He had expected dramatically different thoughts to race through his head and literally bully his thoughts aside but that never happened. The only difference was now he had time to think through both sides... and he was confused.

Ghirahim was only trying to bring back his master,and he guessed if had known someone all his life that he looked up to then he would try and bring them back to. Well that was effectively what he was trying to do with Zelda. But Impa, the goddess and all her servants were trying to stop him? And not just stop Ghirahim but trying to stop Link to. As Link sat here he realised that they were after the same person. He didn't care about Impa or the goddess he just wanted his friend back and Ghirahim wanted her to.

And it was Impa taking her away.

Link growled as he remembered their last meeting. She had ran off with Zelda yet again, taking her further away then she ever had before and practically leaving him behind to be killed by Ghirahim. He didn't even want to think about sugar coating it. She had no belief in him but she knew Ghirahim's strength. She had effectively left him to die, because she would of thought he couldn't handle himself.

She was the problem.

It was _her_ that had Zelda.

Not anyone else. Not Ghirahim.

So why was he helping her?

His head pounded and he lent forward, grabbing his head in his hands and moaning as it pulsed. Everything hurt and he didn't know what to do anymore. Didn't know who to trust, who to turn to for help. Ghirahim would help. Ghirahim was asking to help. Maybe that was the way forward. He couldn't do anything just sat here after all. It was the perfect solution. The only problem was Ghirahim planned to kill Zelda to resurrect his master. And not just that but even if he didn't need to kill her his master certainly would kill her along with everyone else.

Link was stuck in the middle. He didn't want to help Impa anymore but he couldn't run to Ghirahim without risking killing Zelda. Maybe he could bluff? Use Ghirahim to get to Zelda and then get rid of him. But it wasn't guaranteed to work. The tickling in his chest was fired up now and Link rattled his chains as he tried to scratch the tingling in his chest, unable to reach and so having no other choice but to sit agitated.

Well he thought. The chain on his left hand disappeared and Link looked around. Ghirahim wasn't in sight. Link scratched his chest quickly before standing to get a better look. He turned to peer around the rock but nothing was there. When he turned back Ghirahim was directly behind him and Link flinch slightly. Unlike other times he hadn't heard him teleport and so figured he must of been there all along. Perhaps sitting on the rock edges above him.

"What do you want." Link asked impatiently, but it lacked his usual bitterness toward Ghirahim.

"I'm bored, I wanted to talk." Link scoffed returning to his space, the empty container and half full water bottle was the only thing that marked out the area but he wouldn't of needed them. He had been here long enough to navigate himself around the place blind. Which hey, you never know, that could come in handy.

Link sat down, now able to pick up the bottle instead of trapping it between his knees and drinking with his mouth. He drank and swallowed a little sip. Hydrating his drying mouth instantly. Ghirahim never moved closer towards him. Instead staying in the middle of the platform. But he sat. Crossing over his legs and resting his head in his hands. "You know I'm intrigued to know why you bother, why keep up this tough guy act for a woman who _abandoned _you." Link dodged the question, coming back with a retort.

"She didn't abandon me. That Impa servant stole her away." Ghirahim could hear a new found hate for the goddess serving dog in his voice and smiled. "I admit that wench is the reason Zelda is no longer reachable, but she still abandoned you Link, she could easily be with you know if she chose to be"

"N-" Link went to reply but his mouth just hung open. No words popped into his mind at all. It was true. Impa had held her back at both the earth temple and the temple of time but she could of easily pushed through. Link would of pushed through in her position but Zelda hadn't. She had been too afraid to hurt that Impa's feelings. Did that Impa really mean more to her then him?

It all connected in his mind at once. Impa was stealing her away from him and Zelda was letting her, No she wanted to be taken away. She liked Impa more then she did him- no like wasn't the word. You couldn't like someone you barley knew more then you liked someone you knew all you life.

**She must **_**hate**_** him.**

He growled and lashed out at the empty bottle. The glass cut into his fist, opening skin and letting out blood but he didn't care. He wanted to hurt. Wanted to get the rejection out of his head as quickly as possible. The wounds stung but he let them. Not even bothering to pull out the glass. He had been through this. Been through all of it for _nothing. _

_"Do my words sting boy? Do they anger you? Good. Let them."_ Link slashed away the broken glass as the words repeated in his head. They both hated him, and that's why they were putting him through all this. They wanted to see him suffer. No. Not anymore, he wasn't naive anymore. He had time to think things through now, he didn't have to rush anymore and he could see what a fool they had made him out to be.

He looked up at Ghirahim who was smiling at him. He had known it to. He knew they had been doing this to him and that's why he had told him. Ghirahim was on his side... he was the only one on his side.

"I'll help you." Link mumbled at him. "I'll tell you how we get there." Link stated, running on his anger. "On one condition."

"Anything." Ghirahim purred, sitting up in attention.

"We can make them suffer like they made me." Ghirahim smiled slyly at Link. "Oh I like the new you sky child."

Link shook his head. He wasn't new, he wasn't changed. He had just been shown reason.

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><p><strong>AHHH! Please don't shoot me (Or stab me with the master sword)! I know Link is going out of character but he's meant to be. That crystal is changing his thoughts O.o Twisting them all around, and I could have it doing that forever but I needed him to change eventually.<strong>

**Please read and review. Don't hesitate to say if you think it's to OOC or to sudden a change in Link. I did try to drag it out over these past two chapters, I feel I should of probably dragged it out further but at the same time I didn't want to drag it out to far and have you lose interest :3**

**- Nicolette x**


	13. Flame of Farore

**22 reviews? Are you guys serious :D OMG! I can't even begin to thank you all for that :3! I was so hyped to get this chapter posted yesterday and then tells me it doesn't want to work again so I can't *sigh* But hey I couldn't change that, I did stay up till 10pm waiting to see if it would work but it never did but it's working today so the world is normal again.**

**Big thank you to .Shadows, OhMyGeePinkSucksAss, Pilpols, Royal9000, Roowbin, Sailoka, ShatteredShaphire, ButterflyBabyBlue, Dark Link, Princess-of-Your-Doom95, Eyalane, ARandomDay, WolfRunner326, Inky xx and increak96! What would I do without you guys :)**

**Sorry for any grammar/spelling mistakes as I have no spell check, NINTENDO OWNS THE WORLD :3 ...**

**Well they do.**

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><p>The hilt of the sword glistened as the sword itself rested in a heaped pile of bone, carelessly angled to the side after days of no use. Link strode towards it until he was close enough to touch it, listening to the humming coming from the light in the hilt. Fi. She was still trying to reach him after days. Link didn't know how long that would of felt to her. She had been in that sword for thousands of years, a few weeks probably felt like nothing to her.<p>

Ghirahim appeared beside Link, staring at the boys hand as his went to grab the blade. He swatted it away with a quick sound of warning. "You don't want to do that, you'll let her out." Link glanced at Ghirahim and raised his eyebrows. "But we need her to get these flames." Ghirahim shook his head and stared at the blade. "No we just need that sword, Fi is expendable." Link nodded and took a big step away from the blade.

"So how do we separate them." Link asked and Ghirahim smiled

"You touch the sword."

"But you just-" Link began confused and Ghirahim chuckled. "Your going to need to get her out of there so I can separate the two sky child." Link stared at him before nodding and stepping towards the blade. Gripping his right hand around the handle, the familiar feeling causing a rush of power to flow through his veins. Power he hadn't felt in days. He closed his eyes, wallowing in the feeling, liking how it's simple feel could give him security after so many days of uncertainty. He pulled it free at the awkward angle it was in, opening his eyes as he did so.

As soon as the blade was out of the dirt Fi flipped free, she glanced at Link and Link could see the calculations running through her eyes as she analysed his health and well being. "Master Link, you have several different scars since our last meeting but general health seems to be fine." That was it, that's all it ever was with Fi, calculations and the occasionally rare human gesture. Ghirahim walked behind Link and Fi's eyes flashed. "Master Link, Ghira-" But she was cut off as Ghirahim clicked his fingers. Diamonds flew towards the sword and Fi and Link shielded his eyes with his free left arm as he was caught up in the sea of diamonds to.

Fi glowed bright along with the sword, the connection between them, like a thin strip of light, thinned out and began to dull as the diamonds attacked the connection. "Master Link!" Fi shouted, actually shouted, her voice almost human at being in so much strain. Link peeked from under his arm as the connection shattered, Fi's feet collapsed to the ground, no longer able to float and her body faded away.

A part of Link panicked, what had Ghirahim just done? He glanced at the grinning demon and the demon turned to face him. "Aw come on Link, don't tell me your going to miss being told what you already knew 24/7." Link shook his head. He wasn't going to miss that at all, it's just Fi had been his only companion in all of this. Even though she had served the goddess she had actually given him genuine guidance.

Not that it mattered now. They had to get rid of her and It's not like she had been human. She hadn't even had feelings, she was just an empty vessel that had been made to live for ever. A pointless existence that Link found himself glad to have ended. The sword in his hand hung loosely in his wrist. It felt... empty now. Like it wasn't whole. Link glided it into his hilt just as the world dissolved into diamond and by the time he had finished the room had reconstructed itself into the familiar shape of the room at the top of the Ancient Cistern that housed the flame. The walls were tinted with a green hue as the flame of Farore burned brightly, the days it had been left burning doing nothing to fade it's power.

Link reached for his sword to find that his sheath was already empty. He turned to see Ghirahim behind him, running his hands across the blade in admiration. "Such a fine sword, one of the only things I must give Hylia credit for." He laughed once before holding up the sword. "I'll make sure to thank her when we get to her."

The flame rose and split off into three. The three sections hit off onto the roof and the right and left wall as they were guided by trails of Girahims diamonds. The three parts hit the sword and as the skyward strike charged the flames and the green sprite formed to metal around the blade, making it longer and the tip sharper. Link watched in awe from a distance, wondering how Ghirahim could handle such heat without even a flinch as the blade finished off. Green stripes ran up along the blade connecting at the top, showing how long and wide the blade had been before the flame had added on its own metal finish.

Ghirahim brought the blade to rest in his hands again and stroked it's smooth surface. Link shifted his feet and cleared his throat as Ghirahim looked at it transfixed. He thought of going to tap him on the shoulder just as Ghirahim spun and tossed the sword at Link, the pointed tip heading straight for him. Link reacted on instinct, rolling out of the way without even thinking. He panted as he finished in a crouch going to glare at Ghirahim only to find him gone.

He stood and then felt the sword sliding back into the sheath on his back he turning his head to see Ghirahim smiling at him. "So where is the next flame?" Ghirahim asked, resting on Links shoulder. Link shoved him off, rolling his eyes at the fact Ghirahim still wasn't getting the hint about personal space. "To the tower of light..." Link began stumbling off at a sudden realization. "Usually a message from the goddess unlocks in Fi's memory when we learn a new tune, telling us where the trial for the flame is but Fi..."

"Aw don't fret sky child." Ghirahim said ruffling the dirty blond locks of Links hair. "Me and Fi come from the same time, I'll be able to figure out the message in the melody." He beamed, clapping his hands as Link went to remove his hand, disappearing and reappearing 10 ft ahead. "Now where is this tower?" Ghirahim asked, looking behind his shoulder and Link winced, thinking of yet another issue.

"The sky."

"The sky?"

"Yes. The sky" Ghirahim groaned and loosened his posture. "Oh I hate riding loftwings, the wind always messes up my hair." Link rolled his eyes at the vanity. How could someone so vain have such a ridiculous haircut. "Don't worry, I'm sure the loftwing hates having you riding it as well." Ghirahim shot Link a glare and Link grinned. There was nothing Ghirahim could do now he needed him.

"For that you can make your own way out of this temple." Ghirahim clicked his fingers and vanished and Link glanced across the span of 3 rooms to the drop that would bring him to the exit. A bubble of exitement formed in his stomach and he jogged across the room, changing to a run once his legs warmed to the exersice. He hadn't been outside for weeks. The one time Ghirahim had let him he had been in a shady barred ditch. He couldn't wait to simply get out of here. Feel the sun on his skin and the soft grass beneath his feet and hopefully set about getting his tanned skin back.

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><p><strong>Happy chapter 13 guys! I know this chapter isn't as exiting but trust me as Link and Ghirahim go along you'll see the full force of Links change. Now I hate to tell you that I can't update tomorrow as I'm spending the whole day at my dads and he doesn't have wi-fi where he lives. Hmm after yesterday it seems like this chapter is turning into a every other day update, but don't panic! Sunday onwards it will be back to daily updates.<strong>

**Hope you liked this chapter. Even though I find it kind of slow (You know as all bridging chapters are) Please leave a Review if you have the time :3**

**-Nicolette x**


	14. Silence

**Tadaa, Chapter 14! Nothing particually evil in this one but thats because Link isn't over the top evil he just has different motives, don't worry next chapter you'll see what those motives will make him do. EVILNESS! Thank you so much for 14 reviews! Guys seriously giving me so many reviews is so nice :3! If all my stories eneded up like that I think I wouldn't of just left them :P Big Thanks to TNTkitten, Roowbin, Pilpols, tuttifluites, Dark Link, OhMyGeePinkSucksAss, ShatteredShapire, Eyalane, WolfRunner326, Creature of the Night, Princess-of-Your-Doom95 and ButterflyBabyBlue who reviewed!**

**The mixture of new and continuous reviewers was lovely to see :)**

**Now on with chapter 14!**

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><p>The golden grains of sand shifted under Links feet as he walked forwards, eyes trained towards the location his sword pointed at. The magic inside the sword pulsed in beats, going at various different speed depending on how close Link was to the trial gate. In the corner of his eye he kept an eye on where the various beacons he placed were. There was a concealed path under this quicksand but if he strayed from it he would still face the problem of being stuck.<p>

The sun beat down on the back of his tunic, the burnt blackened fabric absorbing the full heat and the holes in the garment causing patches of his back to turn a burnt red. Link sheathed his sword and pulled himself onto a rock, wincing when scorching stone burnt the exposed skin. Ghirahim hadn't let Link go back to Skyloft, he had planned to change there but with the change of plans he couldn't. He didn't have any clothes with him, Ghirahim had given him potions and returned his belongings but he doubted he could get him a new tunic.

From this position the sun wasn't so bright to Link. The giant stone statue of a formation of three triangles in the distance blocked the path of the sun, the withered and battered edges of the stone highlighted because of it. Link didn't know what it represented but the symbol was everywhere. Etched in doors, glowing on walls and standing in the form of a statue ahead. Link looked at his right hand, a faint triangle was etched in a slightly lighter tone then his usual skin colour pnto his hand. That triangle sure was everywhere, and Link figured he was going to find out about it quite soon.

Up ahead a group of butterflies fluttered around strands of dead grass and Link just knew it was the trial gate. He kicked the shattered remains of some old robot away from the small ditch in the ground, the old stone practically turning to dust around his boot. Link pulled out the golden harp from his pouch, plucking his fingers across the strands one by one. A circle glowed in the sand, the faint outline of the trial gate and Link frowned.

"Ghirahim ...?"

...

"You want me to do what?" Link scratched the back of his head awkwardly and took a step back. "Well Fi used to sing so..." Link trailed off as the demon picked him up by the scruff of his tunic, causing a new rip in the hem. "I am not singing." He said slowly, casting a glare that only he was capable of at the child. The child squirmed and Ghirahim let him drop to the floor. "Your capable of playing this tune _solo_." He said, emphasising the solo part. Link knew he couldn't argue with that glare and so searched his brain for the tune and glanced at the harp. The moment his fingers plucked the first string the melody all came back to him, his fingers danced across the strings so effortlessly Link doubted he could be controlling them. The trial gate shone threw, a mark appearing in the centre for his sword. Ghirahim peered at it from behind Link. "Just how long will this take?" Ghirahim asked and Link shrugged, hitting the demons arm because he had no respect for personal space. He stepped forwards before replying "Well the last one took me a few hours to do, but it was my first try..."

Ghirahim groaned and let his shoulders sag, vanishing and appearing on top of the closest rock to the ditch. "I don't have the patience to sit here for hours to make sure you don't fall into the sand boy." Link shot him a grudging glance, wondering how on earth someone who had lived for so long could get so impatient. Maybe it was just the excitement of having something to do getting to him. Link unsheathed his sword and lazily rose it with his right hand. "It's not like there is any other way." He said as the sword charged and Ghirahim growled, how this boy had always been so hot on his heels with so many tasks to do was embarrassing. A thought came to mind and Ghirahim clicked his fingers, causing a light snow fall of diamonds to fall on Links tunic. The cuts it the tunic weaved together and a thin protective layer of black and orange diamonds lay over the fabric.

"That, will give the guardians something to work out." Link glanced at the tunic, it was still black, but where some parts caught the sun the black turned to more of an orange colour. He wondered if it was meant to protect him, he had seen Ghirahim use his magic to do a lot of things, this wasn't one of them however. Link hesitated, the powered blade in his hand cocked at a weird angle as he stalled entering the area to look at his tunic. Ghirahim appeared next to Link, hopefully offering an explanation. But instead he shoved the sword down into the ground and Link went limp, slouching against the hilt of his sword, tilting to one side because of his lazy grip. Ghirahim chuckled and sat in front of the boy on the sand. Why he couldn't do something like that was beyond him. It would be nice to turn the boy off every now and then. Now he was working with him he never seemed to shut up.

He guessed the quiet terrified boy had been more fun to torment, but the Sky child was alright company like this to... for now.

...

Link materialised in a darkened version of the dessert. Guardian statues scatted across places that he knew he would now give extra caution in the real world. A red tear glowed off in front of him, the only piece of colour in this land. It was completely silent. There wasn't even a soft whisper of wind here. It was like walking in a picture. No colour, no smell, no sound, no texture, no anything. Just terrifying statues.

Link clicked his knuckles and stretched his legs. He was getting that tear. And he was going to try to do it before the guardian that rest behind it. Link ran forwards and the world flashed red, colour flaring up as the sound of statues coming to life filled his ears. The one in front of him stumbled up from the sand, unsheathing a sword so big it shouldn't of been possible to carry. Link ducked underneath the first swing., grabbing the tear and expecting the world to fade to darkness again. But the world stayed red. The guardians still moved and Link rolled to dodge the blow of the one right next to him. He fell down a hill of sand, landing in a trench of red water. He turned to see a hovering figure smash down a sword and he closed his eyes, waiting to be shattered. By the sword clashed across his tunic, a diamond flashed orange and the guardian crumbled to ash. Link blinked in surprise as the other guardian that had chased him did the same. Turning to ash with the first.

Link sat up and got out of the water. Hiding from view of the other statues. He didn't know why the guardians where still active but it didn't matter. They were no longer a problem. Link dusted himself off and grabbed a glowing white orb, columns of light stretched upwards and he made his way towards the closest. Just because they weren't a problem didn't mean they weren't terrifying.

...

Ghirahim lay in the soft sand, glancing every so often at the limp body of the boy. Ghirahim hated having to rely on him to do things as important as this. He would much rather be in control of the plan he had set. But Link was the only one able to do it. He guessed once the boy had completed the last trial he would no longer be of use but until them Ghirahim was stuck with him. Ghirahim didn't know how long he had been led down for but it didn't seem long before the boy began to stir. His eyes widened and his body tensed before he relaxed again. Taking a deep breath and pulling his sword free. Ghirahim frowned at the lack of anything new just as an orange bag appeared over head, breaking in the glittering dust as it revealed a pair of claw shots. Ghirahim cast an eye to one of the multiple signs around the dessert. Their meaning suddenly clear.

Link glared at the demon, gathering his breath before accusing. "You- You" Link took a deep breath and sheathed his sword. "You did something." Ghirahim smiled. "Yes I made you indestructible in the silent realm, you can thank me anytime." Link shook his head. "No. Thanks to you they never stopped chasing me." Ghirahim cocked his head. "Well I guess my magic gave them it the impression it was me, and I'm no goddess 'hero'." Link glared at him and Ghirahim smirked. That was the one nickname Link hated. He didn't like being referred to as that, it made him feel like a slave.

Ghirahim took the chance to pull a claw shot off Link, pressing the button and causing the chain to fly out to one of the targets. It latched just like he thought it would and he smiled at being right. There was no feeling like it. "Well, Well Sky child, I am one smart demon." Ghirahim disappear to the ledge the sign was on and pulled the claw shot free, throwing it to Link. "Your turn."

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><p><strong>:3 I like Links new tunic. Everyone is sexier in black. Now I know this isn't the most exiting chapter in the world. Just wanted to get some more light hearted chapters between the pair of them so we haven't just got the torture chapters to base on them :3<strong>

**Please read and review if you can. :3**


	15. The Sand Sea

**Chapter 15! Aww there is something about multiples of five that seems good to me, like everything is nice and rounded :) Thanks for 14 reviews on the last chapter! (14 reviews, chapter 14, ha only I'm sad enough to spot that :P) Thanks to Dark Link, When Boredom Takes Over, increak96, ShateredShapire, OhMyGeePinkSucksAss, Eyalane, Roowbin, WolfRunner326, ButterflyBabyBlue and Princess-Of-Your-Doom95 who made this chapter possible to write.**

**Now since this is the place where I thank all my reviewers I would just like to leave a message to the person who left me a rather crude review. I had multiple problems with your review, the main one being inappropriate abuse. If you had a problem with chapter 7 coming on here and insulting me is not the way to deal with it. If you had had the guts to sign in I could of PM'd you and we could talk about me either tweaking the chapter of raising the rating. I would also like to point out to you that this is fan**_**fiction. **_**Everything I write is not true and is not going to come true so I encourage you to think again before trying to leave another crude review (If you don't like reading torture then this isn't the story for you and you should of stopped at chapter 5 when it started NOT chapter 7)**

**Now on with chapter 15 :3**

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><p>Link dropped down, sand billowing up past his boots to his shins as it smoked off into the distance. Masses of quick sand stretched out before him and he tided his clawshot away. There were no targets for him to latch onto, no rocks to teleport across and if there was a concealed path underneath to follow he doubted he had the patience to work it out. What he needed was a time shift stone, one that he could move to make a path threw the water.<p>

Link walked across the wooden pier, his footsteps eerily quiet now his feet had adjusted to walking gently on the sand. A crumbling robot rested against a plank of wood at the end of the pier, stone hand out stretched on the hull of the boat. A captain probably, back in the time this place could still have captains.

The boat was small, fit for two at tops, the time shift stone in the middle made the thought of a three man journey impossible and Link doubted he'd be able to persuade the robot to give up his boat. Link nudged the rock with his elbow and it flashed, the boat rocked as the sand supporting it turned to liquid. Its paint turned back to its full striking glory as the robot beside him brightened with life, sparks of electricity linking its body and hands.

The robot beeped and started up before turning to look at Link. "Hey you, why are you so close to my boat?" It beeped again, a deep long sound that Link guessed compensated for the feeling of anger since their voices were all the same monotone. Link ignored the robot, if it turned hostile it wouldn't even be an inconvenience to get rid of, in fact it would be easier then trying to persuade him. "I need to borrow your boat." Link said.

The robot stared at him unsure, looking him up and down. Link twitched as he realised the robot was trying to work out if he was the goddess's hero. Growing slightly angry at the thought. He didn't belong to anyone. "I'm after the flame" Link added and the robot immediately straightened. "The flame is on my old ship." It beeped, and Link guessed it was feeling a little sad as it did. "Pirates hijacked it along with my crew. I haven't seen them since." The robot finished reminiscing and looked up at Link. "If you promise to rescue my crew I can bring you to the pirate stronghold, they have the ship, but we would need to stop at my house to grab the sea map."

The robot had just told him everything he needed to know. Link probably should of listened to it as it tried to persuade him to get his crew back but all Links mind heard was Ghirahims impatient voice in the back of his head and it matched perfectly with his impatience. He was sick of going around helping everyone, he did it far to often and it just took him to long. However if Link could get the robot to allow him and Ghirahim to take the boat without him it may cause more good then harm.

"I'll do it if you let me take the boat solo." The robot shook its head. "No this is the only boat I have left, If you don't do as I have asked there will be no way to get my crew back without it." Link sighed. He remembered the robot standing next to the boat before he had activated the time shift stone. Even if he kept his boat he wouldn't do anything about it.

"Well then I won't help." The robot beeped in annoyance. "Then I won't give you the boat." It was no bluff, he didn't serve the goddess, he didn't know the importance of this flame. "Fine" Link drew his sword so fast that the robot didn't have time to react as he slashed the blade threw it's middle. It's upper body landed in the water, the electricity went mad in the water before exploding and sizzling out. The only thing left was the under part Link had slashed through on the deck and Link made no hesitation to kick it into the watery grave along with the rest of its body.

He was an electrical run robot that sailed the seas, it was bound to happen eventually.

Link climbed into the boat, pushing his hand away from the dock to get it in the water. Link had enjoyed going canoeing in Skyloft, even the part where they let your boat fall off the island and made you call your loft wing. It had been practise for real life but no one ever needed it. Mainly because once that canoe fell off the edge you couldn't get it back, and canoes took a long time to make.

Link smiled, wondering if he'd ever come across that part of the land where all the canoes had fallen. The boat sunk suddenly at the back and Link didn't even bother to turn, knowing it was Ghirahim behind him. He raised his eyebrow at the sinking dead body of the robot. "Now which electrical armed robot though swimming was a good idea?" Link laughed as he stirred the boat away from land. "I did it, but it was bound to happen if I hadn't." Ghirahim kicked back and stretched out his legs, prodding Link with his foot.

"Fast would be best boy, I'm awfully fair skinned." The demon purred and Link moved his foot with his hand. "Stop being so vain and cover up then" He said, ignoring Ghirahims behaviour as he steered the ship. Ghirahim sat up, pulling the hat off Links head and attaching it to the pole in the middle of the ship that should of had a sail.

The result blocked the sunlight from Ghirahims face. "Hey!" Link protested when he tried to grab it back but Ghirahim smacked his hand away. "Don't be so controversial I'm only following your advice, besides black and green don't go." Link scowled at him before stopping the boat. "I can't see where we're going with the sun in my eyes." Ghirahim sighed at the mortal and clicked his fingers, swapping their positions it the boat. Ghirahim clasped the wheel just as Link worked out what he had done.

"You don't even know were we are going." Link protested and Ghirahim waved his hand in a way that told him not to worry.. "Neither did you." The demon replied and Link realised he hadn't. Besides why was Link so determined to do it himself? The goddess had never given him a break and now Ghirahim had he guessed he would use it. "Well your looking for a pirate stronghold." Link said and Ghirahim flipped his hair out of his face so he could well... see.

"Giant skull and cross bones, that's not to hard to find."

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><p><strong>Writing chapter like this is starting to get addicting... which is good since these are the kind of chapters that there are before we get back to the action packed ones. I though they would suck to write since you know like no action but they don't, they're nearly the easiest chapters to write to date.<strong>

**Hope it's the same for you. I don't want to get carried away with these chapters if you guys are finding them to boring :3 Please review if you can! Reviews make me smile :) Plus you get cookies (Bribery, it works most of the time)**


	16. Frustration

**:D Another 14 reviews! Whoop Whoop I could get use to this! *throws out cookies* I am a woman of my word you shall hath your cookie bribes! **

**Thanks to WolfRunner326 (who stole all my cookies :P Now I must write on an empty tummy), **

**ShatteredShaphire (I agree that the hat is not to be messed with *nods* 'tis sacred), **

**ButterflyBabyBlue (Yes I agree his hair is awesome sauce! Just not something that lets you see an awful lot :3)**

**Roowbin ( I like writing these interactions to :P As for killing everyone off ... Meh I do not want to kill to world ... A few more people may be killed but I have not got any in mind so far)**

**Farli30519 ( I like evil Link :D I cannot wait to write the bit when he strolls up to zelda guns ... ur sword? Blazing and tells her he is not going to take her shit no more ... well not exactly like that because that would be hugely out of character but you get the idea :D)**

**increak96 (My evil twin, Yes they are slow but they are awfully fun to write, thought I would show us the calmer side of life before I turn it into hell again. Because Hell is a fun thing.)**

**Dark Link ( When I wrote the tale I only had a rough idea of where I wanted this story to go, but I knew it would not just be a written version of the game and that it would be a lot eviler. So I named it tainted tale because this is a darker, changed version of event :3 ... and I like doing things without hesitation *suddenly eats cookie* Mmm)**

**OhMyGeePinkSucksAss (Are Pipit and Karane coming into this story ... ooh the ideas :D If Ghirahim and Link part for a while I can totally see Link going back to Skyloft and having something happen)**

**Eyalane ( Of course Ghirahim is right! He is right 100% of the time *laughs awkwardly as Ghirahim takes his sword away from her throat)**

**Pilpols (LOLumz Indeed :P)**

**TwilightWakerofTime (Here are your cookies! Thanks for telling me about spell and grammar checks, totally never thought of that because I am a simpleton :P I would love to have a beta but your right in saying daily updates make that hard, especially because I can never find people in the right time zones as I am in the UK. If if cannot find someone in the right time zone I may just update this story every two days ... actually PM Time :D)**

**RegularGirl (Yes mam! *writes away*)**

**Princess-Of-Your-Doom95 (Aw God I know all about this shopping! D: Terrible! Glad you like the story! Now lets flame the flamer! *flames*)**

**.Shadow (Hehe I love the name! Glad you like the Ghirahim Link relationship I got going on, I always love writing chapters with them because it's never dull :3)**

**Now on with chapter 16!**

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><p>Water smashed onto the deck as the wood tore apart, pointed shrapnel flying into the tentacles making the animal angrier and spurring it to cause more destruction. Link struggled to keep his balance as the heavy beast dragged the ship down. The wet planks causing him to slip an awful lot and nearly fall off.<p>

Being attacked by a giant Octopus in the middle of a desert was one of the weirdest things that had ever happened to Link but he could not say he was surprised. He stopped being surprised by things the day some spirit guided him around parts of Skyloft he had never been and melted a perfectly solid door into thin air. He would of liked to have seen his face when that very spirit gave him a sword and guided him through the clouds but that was not exactly what he should of been thinking right now.

He resisted the urge to curse as he rolled to avoid a tentacle that was trying to wrap around his middle only to slip on the wood he had rolled on and be captured by the tentacles lower down on the deck. He had to of sliced at least 20 of these tentacles in half all ready, how many more did this thing have. Link squirmed from its wet grip and raised his sword, slicing the powered blade through the tentacle just as it made another attempt to grab him.

The creature screeched and all its tentacles retreated into the water where it ripped the deck again, The pieces of wood now to small to stay afloat as the water gathered on top of them and they sunk. Link ran back to the part that was more stable and climbed up just as the rest of the floor crumbled beneath him. The symbol on the floor of the deck he was on jumped out at him as he clambered on. The flame was here and if he lost this part of the ship he lost that flame to.

Snake like tentacles darted towards Link as the creature emerged from the water, it's giant yellow eye practically screamed 'hit me here' Link sliced these smaller tentacles in half without even having to power his blade as he ran forwards. Throwing himself at the eye, using his blade as the landing zone. The blade sank right in and he held onto it as the creature whipped it's head around.

When it went limp Link pulled out the blade and flipped back onto the deck to avoid being dragged down into the sea with its body. "You idiot." Link turned to scowl at the demon behind him.

"Excuse me?"

"Your an idiot." The demon repeated, glaring at the boy and the state of the ship- if he could call it that now- that he stood on. "You let that thing tear apart the ship and nearly lost the flame." He growled as he moved forwards. Losing the flame below the sea would of been a nightmare, a giant task that he would not have the time or patience to attempt. His master was trying to break free as Link and he spoke and Ghirahim needed to make sure he had the right body when he did so.

"I did not see you rush to help." Link retorted, his glare never faltering "If you were so concerned about the flame you could of took care of that monster yourself." Ghirahim hid behind his bangs as he mumbled, fingers curling and uncurling in restrained anger. "That's what I have you for boy." Link felt the air leave him as Ghirahims word hit him.

_Was he just another person trying to use him?_ "I'm not your slave." Link said and Ghirahim laughed. "Yes I know your not, I have had slaves, they could do the jobs I asked of them." So could Link. Link had done the very job he was asked, get the flame and it was here right beneath their feet. His competitive nature got the better of him and he ignored the early remark for now as he retorted.

"So did I." Link replied coolly, letting his anger go over his head. The last thing he needed was a debate.

Ghirahim shook his head and disappeared. "Such stupid methods." His voice rang out from everywhere at once, impossible to track until the demon reappeared and smacked the boy around the face. Link flinched back, bringing a hand to his cheek. "I have worked to hard and to long to lose it all because you are sloppy sky child." Link glared at him. Sure he had not done it the easiest way in the world but he had still done it.

"It may of been sloppy but it got the job done." Link spat at him, containing his rage. He did not need to piss him off and live through another week of torture because of it. "I do not expect sloppiness in the future." The demon said coldly, his voice promising violence if his words weren't listened to. Link stood there silently. He was not going to promise anything, could not promise anything. He did not know what the future may hold after all.

The demon glared at him expecting an answer but Link gave him none. Ghirahim narrowed his eyes, stepping forwards to do something before hesitating and sighing. "Just get that flame Link." He said calmly before disappearing to who knows where. Link stared at the spot he had been before relaxing, letting all tension go.

He was not here anymore, no need to get angry at the floor boards he had stood on. Link raised his sword and struck the panel on the floor, the flame underneath rising and blasting Link with heat. Link could only shield his eyes as part of the flame slammed into his sword. He should of asked Ghirahim for help but he did not want to be near that demon right now. The possibility he was using him ... no he would think about that later when his anger at him died down. No point tainting his thoughts with the emotion after all.

He was going to go back to the sky to get the next song and then he would visit Skyloft before he went back whether Ghirahim wanted him to or not. Putting the sword back in it's sheath he turned to face the water in the middle of the sandy desert. The once clean water was littered with broken wood and halves of purple tentacles and Link struggled to find the small boat that had taken them here.

How the hell was he meant to get out of here?

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><p><strong>Ahaa, I do believe it was increak96 who suggested Link get the good old back hand :D Back to Skyloft next chapter! Where we may see Pipit just like OhMyGeePinkSucksAss wanted :P *wink wink* Until then have a happy pancake day! And do not forget to eat pancakes while Link swims home :P<strong>


	17. Old 'Friends'

**:D another 14 reviews! I know that's pretty much the norm for this story now but it's still great to see so many! (And the fact the reviews have now reached 150 makes them 14 reviews seem a lot bigger then they actually are xD) **

**Big thanks to .Shadow, Roowbin, ShatteredShapire, Princess-of-Your-Doom95, Dark Link, Pilpols, TwilightWakerofTime, Eyalane, RegularGirl, OhMyGeePinkSucksAss, ButterflyBabyBlue, Wolfrunner326, and increak96 who all reviewed! I love all your reviews so much! Especially the lovely long ones! It's heart warming to see you enjoy the chapter enough to leave a long review :)**

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><p>The red bird reared it's wings as it struggled to stay above the ground, the full length of it's feathered arms casting an impressive shadow along the top of the waterfall. Link calmed his bird down by stroking the ruffled feathers of his neck. Smoothing them down after they had been messed by their flight. Crimsons talon like claws gripped onto the unstable rock edge before hoping safely onto the top of the waterfall.<p>

Crimson shook his feathers out before folding his wings back in and letting out a screech that was bound to carry around Skyloft. Link rubbed his beak before getting off his bird. Everyone would know he was home now. His friends would probably come to look for him like they always did but he wasn't ready to face them.

All of them would ask how close he was to finding Zelda as soon as they saw him, which would not only be awkward to lie through but incredibly annoying. There would be no asking how he was just her. Sometimes if he was lucky they would ask him afterwards how he was but they only confirmed that they thought less of him then her.

Link guided the flaming loftwing over to the reservoir and let him drink, his huge beak took massive gulps and Link was sure if he wanted to he could probably drink the water pit dry. Link glanced down at his reflection. He liked the colour of this new tunic more, the other green one had been nice but it had also been childish. Black matured him which was a great way of representing how he had changed. He had matured and he needed to show it.

He missed his hat though. He ran a hand through his ruffled locks, scraping sweat stuck strands from his scalp and freeing the bugs that had got caught in his hair whilst flying. Link had never found the boat Ghirahim had tied it to, he had only managed to find one of the bird statues that had been on ship bobbing in the water, and even that had been pure luck. That statue wouldn't of stayed above the water for long and was probably laying on the sea bed right now. Ghirahim had probably assumed he was still in the desert, and unless he was there now trying to find him Link figured he'd have peace for a while.

His loftwing stopped drinking and shook it's head dry, drops of water splashing onto Links face as his bird walked back to the edge and took off. Link wiped at his face to clean it before lying back on the grass and simply relaxing. Link had assumed Ghirahim would be more laid back but he wasn't, he was being just as demanding and it sickened him.

Link wasn't going to fool himself into thinking he was stronger then Ghirahim, maybe with a sword and shield but that wouldn't last long because of Ghirahims ability to take them away. So why Ghirahim was leaving everything to him was frustrating. He wasn't working against him which he supposed was a step forwards, but he could at least help him considering how together they would get this done a lot faster.

Link heard distant shouts of his name as his loftwing disappeared back into the air and moaned before lazily rolling over and crawling to the edge. He saw Pipit running to the platform closest to the one his loftwing was flying away from and he watched him stop just at the edge to sigh. He ran a hand through his brown hair before sitting on the platform edge. Watching the bird fly off into the distance.

Links eyebrows ridged in confusion and he slipped himself off the edge, letting his water scale move him into a dive. He broke up from the water as soon as he hit the surface, pulling himself up onto the edge. Pipit was no more then a few feet in front of him from where Link had pulled himself up and he quickly stood and walked over to him.

Water dripped onto the boards of the wooden platform and Pipit turned at the sound. "Link!" He exclaimed getting up and giving his fellow knight a hug. Link stiffened at the touch before loosening and giving his friend an awkward pat on the back."Link you have been gone for weeks! Every ones been so worried something had happened to you." He practically shouted in Links ear making him wince away.

Pipit pulled back when he flinched and smiled at him sympathetically, he glanced down at his now soaked tunic and simply shrugged before saying "Where have you been?" And in that instant he turned from his friendly self into a concerned knight of skyloft academy.

"I have been around." Link said, not really wanting to get into details. Pipit was one of the many people of Skyloft who didn't know what he was doing right now. The only person who did was his head teacher and he wasn't even that concerned about him, only giving Link a small smile every time he saw him. He always got the impression he was gladder he was still alive to look for his daughter then just genuinely glad he was alive.

Pipit frowned at him and grabbed his shoulders. "Look Link I know you were pretty upset when Zelda disappeared but it would be stupid for you to go out looking for her, your not even a full knight, your safer just staying here." Link frowned at Pipit. He could see why he had come to that conclusion- it was true after all- why he thought he was incapable was another thing entirely though.

Link pushed his friends concerned hand away. "Pipit I'm not saying I was looking for her but if I was I think I'd be able to handle myself." Pipit shook his head and smiled. "Come on Link I'm a year older then you, trust me I tried to help find her but I was no help and neither were the older knights so you wouldn't be able to help either, we just have to wait for her to come back."

Link glared at his 'friend' as he shook his head, his smile looking more and more cocky the angrier he got. If Link still cared about getting Zelda home safely he guessed he would of been angry at Pipit for telling him to wait for her to come back instead of looking for her. But he couldn't care less about that. No, what he was angry about was how incapable Pipit found him, he just assumed because he was younger that he would be weaker but Link was determined to show him he was wrong.

"What you think I couldn't do it?" Link said, closing the gap between him and Pipit with one step, Pipit wanted to step back to regain his personal space but when he did his foot hit the air and he was reminded he was still at the edge. Link smiled slightly at his friends panicked face as he stuttered for Link to give him some space.

The fact the Link was causing him panic was good. He should panic. Link was tired of people looking down at him. He wanted to show them he was strong. Link ignored his plea as he edged closer. "You never answered my question." He hissed and Pipit pulled his head back, nearly losing his balance. "Dude what are you doing!" Pipit shouted at him.

Link gripped Pipits shoulders just as he lost his balance and he looked up at him shocked before shaking the emotion from his face and speaking "Link stop acting like this and pull me up."

"Answer my question." Link retorted, digging his fingers into Pipits shoulders. Pipit hissed in pain before shouting. "Dude what is wrong with you! Seriously your messed up!" Link glared at him and Pipit glared back.

"Pull me up." He demanded "Now!"

"Answer me and I'll pull you up." Link said slowly to restrain his frustration." Pipit stared up at him, searching his face for something before looking into his eyes. "No"

Link pushed him off the edge and Pipit screamed in surprise before realising the danger he was in. He turned and whistled for his loftwing, the giant bird swooping underneath him and pulling him up. Link watched him fly off with a glare. No. Link was going to finish teaching him a lesson. Link jumped off the edge and whistled. His loftwing caught him immediately and took off in a burst of speed toward Pipit, Gliding next to his bird effortlessly.

Pipit glanced the flash of red and turned. "Link get away from me!" He shouted and Link smiled. He was worried. Good he should be worried. Link glided his loftwing towards Pipits, kicking his foot into his crimson bird and causing him to charge into Pipits. The two birds screeched and hauled up. Link held on but Pipit panicked, his grip slipping from his bird and he fell through the air.

Link jumped from his bird onto Pipits as it tried to catch it's flier, pulling the bird harshly to the side and crashing it into a stray rock in the sky. Link heard a snap as the birds thin leg caught onto the rock and broke. It turned in on itself, throwing Link off and gripping tightly to the boulder it crashed on.

Link grinned as his loftwing caught him, as soon as he mounted his bird he started searching for Pipits falling body. It was merely a dot by the time Link spotted it but he ignored the fact and made his bird chase it anyway.

Pipit fell through masses of clouds, arm over face to avoid looking at the massive fall below him. He clenched his eyes as he was about to hit the cloud barrier, completely prepared to die or something similar to that nature. Nothing could survive down there anyway.

Suddenly he stopped, his body tensing and he was terrified he had hit some sort of ground. He opened his eyes to see himself dangling metres from the barrier. He dangled around on his right leg and he looked up to confirm what he already feared. Link was holding him up. "Link don't let go!" He shouted up at the boy. His blue eyes darted towards his leg, sparkling orange as they caught the reflection of his tunic. He looked between his leg and him.

"First I want to hear you say I could get Zelda back if I tried." Pipit dead panned, that was all he wanted? He threw him off the island just to hear him say he could bring back Zelda. Pipit shook his head and glared at him. He was getting to obsessed with this and it needed to stop. "Link you need to let it go!" He shouted and immediately regretted it as his leg slipped.

He shouted and glanced back up at Link to find him bringing a hand to his mouth in a yawn. Eyes and mouth curled into a menacing position that shouldn't belong on his face. He was insane, he knew him and Zelda had been close but he hadn't expected her disappearance to do anything like this to him. "Link don't!" He shouted glancing at how dangerously close he was to the cloud barrier. Link still looked at him, lips curling and Pipit realised he was about to let go. He wasn't bluffing. He was about to do it.

"You could do it!" Pipit shouted in desperation, continuing when he saw Links expression soften and felt his grip tighten. "I see how much she means to you Link! Your determined and I totally see you could do it if you wanted even if others have tried and failed because they don't have the determination you do!"

Links expression softened. "That wasn't that hard now was it?" He mocked and Pipit let himself breath as his expression returned to normal. Links second hand gripped his leg and pulled him up ever so slightly.

And then he dropped him.

Pipit was about to shout just as a stray loftwing flew underneath him, catching him. It wasn't his and he struggled to get a grip that would allow him to stay on the bird but he managed. As the bird rose higher he felt safer as the distance being between him and the unknown drop increased.

He turned his head to see Links red loft wing flying away, not just from him but from Skyloft. He didn't know what had gotten into Link but he hoped he was safe. What ever he was doing was changing him and Pipit was worried. Pipit watched the direction they headed in, determined to grab a group of knights and follow him to make sure he was alright.

The bird he was on passed by a rock and Pipit strained his neck to try keep track of Links bird. When he emerged from behind the rock he was relieved to see the crimson bird still flying in sight. But when he strained his eyes he realised Link was no longer on the bird.

Pipit frowned as the random bird dropped him off back at the edge of Skyloft. Wondering if he had been seeing things or if Link really had just disappeared into thin air. He staggered into a sitting position and clasped a hand to his head.

He needed a drink.

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><p><strong>Hehehehe plot bunnies! Review away my loyal friends! I tried to make this chapter quite long to make up for the shorter updates lately (even though I started writing this chapter a lot later then usual) <strong>


	18. Betrayals

***pants* I got it up! :O It took until 9:35 but I wrote it and now I need to edit and post as fast as hell! (So If this chapter is particuarly bad grammar/spelling wise you know why :P) I was going to go into detail and reply to all your lovely reviews today but I have no such time so I'll to it tommorow!**

**I will just like to say a quick thank you to all my reveiwers for continuing to review and give me such motivation. So Thanks so much OhMyGeePinkSucksAss, TwilightWakerofTime, Shrouded Wolfielia, WolfRunner326, ShatteredShaphire, Pilpols, Roowbin, Princess-of-Your-Doom95, Eyalane, ButterflyBabyBlue and increak96!**

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><p>The rock sizzled and disappeared just like the last and Link kicked another stone into the inferno to take the previous rocks place. It was oddly calming, watching the rock sizzle away. It should of made him feel more cautious around the lava but instead it had the opposite effect, it relaxed him to be in such control and he let his posture grow sloppy as he walked around the rocky platform, his feet dwindling over the edge.<p>

Link had already found the trial gate. He wasn't stuck or confused or even scared, but he didn't want to continue just yet. For the first time in a while he didn't see the need to rush, he was incredibly doubtful of Ghirahim at the moment and didn't want to give him his advantage. As soon as he got this item he became expandable. It had been two days since he had seen Ghirahim and if he was lucky it would stay that way, Ghirahim was in no way his friend anymore, not even a companion. But Link couldn't go against him.

If he wanted to get to Zelda he would just have to deal with him for now, it didn't make it right but if Link didn't work with him he would have to work against him. And that would get him no where. Link kicked another rock into the bubbling lava and turned to face the trial gate. Link kept expecting him to show up and tell him to get on with it but he never did.

Link didn't know what he was doing actually, maybe he was regretting acting like that towards him yesterday... perhaps the tension of the moment had gotten to him. Link shook his head and sighed. He just didn't know.

He stumbled away from the edge to the glowing symbol on the floor, the mark in the middle where he would have to place his sword pulsing as he approached. Link knew what was in store, he just didn't know what he would get. He glanced up to the passage ahead, the air around the entrances rippling around the heat from within. He couldn't even stand near that place without exploding to flame. His new tunic didn't catch on fire in there but the heat was still way to much for him to withstand.

He knew he shouldn't jump to conclusions but after doing this twice before he just assumed that was it, that that was the place he'd be able to reach after the trial. The shadow on the ground shifted ever so slightly to cover Links face and he glanced up at the lowering sun. The sun had risen to its highest peak and was now starting the descent back down. Link couldn't stall forever. He needed to get this done before sun down, when his exposed body would be at risk to all the creatures that came out in the cover of night. But if Ghirahim showed up he would be putting himself at big risk...

He drew his sword. He would do it, but he would do it quickly, he had already wasted to much time stalling and couldn't afford to waste anymore. The more he hesitated the closer he got to Ghirahim arriving.

He body went limp as soon as the sword touched the mark and his body crushed against the blade, cheek pressing into the hilt as his body supported itself. Ghirahim smiled from the perch he was watching the boy on. It didn't matter how often he watched the boy do these trials it was always funny to watch his soul transport from his body. The demon leaned back against the rock and closed his eyes, the sun beating down on his face comfortably in this position.

He didn't feel bad about treating the boy so harshly two days ago but he was concerned... not for the boy but for his loyalty. He wasn't stupid, he could tell the boy wished to avoid him right now but it would be unwise for Ghirahim to simply leave the boy to his own devices. However Ghirahim had no need to worry, for what ever reasons the boy was still proceeding with the task and Ghirahim had no more need to worry. What ever happened to him after this didn't matter after all.

As soon as he returned from this trial Ghirahim wouldn't need his assistance anymore. He would have the only item he still needed the boys assistance to get and using it he could get the flame and the spirit maiden. He just needed Link to receive the item now. Ghirahim had noticed Links curiosity with the heated cavern ahead and the demon assumed he had the right idea. Ghirahim would of simply continued in there himself if he could but the heat in there was to hot even for him.

An animalistic screeched interrupted his thoughts and Ghirahim peered an eye open to find where the noise had come from. Up ahead a bokoblin had stumbled across Link, the animals greedy eyes had completely missed Ghirahim as it focused its attentions on the fancy dressed boy and his sword. Ghirahim could practically see the gears in the animals simple head turning as it estimated its worth.

Ghirahim glared at the animal, instantly rising from his position and jumping off the edge to rest on to the volcanic floor below. The animal spotted its master looking between him and the sword before attempting to grab the sword and run. Ghirahim was no expert but he suspected that sword was keeping Link connected to this world and without it his soul may not return. A dagger flashed across to the bokoblin and caught it straight in the eye. It stumbled back wards screeching and Ghirahim smiled as he stalked after it.

It was so close to the edge.

The bokoblin glanced at its master with its one good eye before lowering to its knees in a plea for mercy. Ghirahim cocked his head at the monster. No mercy for him, he should know better then to try defy him. Ghirahim didn't even have to put more then minimal force into his kick to send the beast screaming off the edge, Its annoying snort cutting short as its disappearing life left it unable to speak.

Ghirahim smiled down at the bubbling blackened mess of its body before turning back to the boy. He was stood up and looking at him. He was back already?

"That was quick." Ghirahim said in greeting to the sky child as the boys eyes came to rest on him, he pulled out the sword just as a bag appeared up ahead, splitting into shining flakes to reveal a pair of orange earrings that floated down to the boys out stretched hand. He sheathed his sword and crossed his arms, an unconscious gesture to put a barrier between the two of them.

"You were watching?" The boy retorted, clearly unhappy to see him.

Ghirahim simply smiled at the boy. "Of course, good thing to, without me your soul wouldn't be in your body right now." He didn't know if it was completely true but it got the boys support as he glanced down at himself.

"I thought you were just being your usual jerk self." The boy said, he hadn't even intended to insult, Ghirahim had just been so soft with the boy lately that this was how he was coming to treat him. Ghirahim raised an eyebrow at the boy. Oh that would not be allowed. Especially now that Ghirahim no longer needed him. The boy no longer had a reason to be protected and he needed to either change his attitude or face the consequences.

"Jerk? No That's Lord to you boy. Demon Lord." The boy snorted in amusement.

"I'm not calling you a lord, your a joke, you act so strong and yet you make a child go round to do everything for you, whats wrong? Scared to get your hands dirty." Ghirahim hissed in warning but the boy just chuckled again. "I'm not scared of you."

"Oh?" Ghirahim replied immediately. But he hissed it instead of questioning. "Well then, looks like you have nonexistent survival instincts boy."

"No." The fact the boys tone didn't even hint at fear drove the demon crazy with rage. How dare he... "I have survival instincts, they have just caught onto enough to know you bluff an awful lot."

Now it was Ghirahims time to laugh. "Did my torture teach you nothing." He blew the hair from his face to give the child a full on manic grin. "I don't bluff." The demon disappeared instantly and Link drew his sword without hesitation, spinning around to avoid a surprise attack. The earrings fell from his hands to the boiled ground of the volcano. Their importance completely slipped his mind until he watched them turn to diamonds and vanish. A pang of panic settled in his chest. With those earrings gone Link had nothing to bargain with Ghirahim. He had everything he needed.

The demons chuckle echoed from everywhere before Link felt a hand grip his shoulder. He instantly turned to slash, putting all his force into the blow but the demon caught the blade effortlessly between his fingers, yanking it free without a single trouble. "Oh how kind for you to hand over your sword." The demon mocked and Link backed away as his sword was dissipated into black and orange diamonds.

The demons stare turned to a glare. "Now what to do with you." Link should of ran but he didn't want to look so weak, not now. Not after coming so far. "We are in this together, you can't get rid of me now." He argued but Ghirahim simply smiled.

"We _were _in this together, but you got a little to smart mouthed for my liking." The demon licked his lips and stalked towards to boy, Link had no where to back away to unless he wanted to scorch to death in the pits of lava behind him.

Ghirahim gripped the boys colour and lifted him up, choking him as the fabric crushed his air supply. "I could kill you but I'd much rather wait till this is all over." He purred inches away from Links face "Once my master is back I will make sure I have plenty of time to deal with you ...but until then." Ghirahim grinned and the world fell apart around them, rocks and caverns coming apart before joining back into different shapes and changing colour.

Ghirahim was stable but Link had the gut feeling he no longer had such a luxury. His tip toes stretched, unable to even scrape against any ground and Link feared that was because there wasn't any. "You can wait here." The demon spat before tearing off his tunics collor along with the water scale around his neck causing Link to fall. Link screamed as he plummeted down the cliff side to the ground below, no time to think or register his surroundings or what was happening.

He didn't even know where he was. All he knew was the sky was blue, just like it was everywhere, The same unchanging shade of blue that gave no hint to anything about his location. His leg hit the surface before the rest of him and all he could take in was a spike of pain and a crunch before his head followed in his legs place and his world disappeared.

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><p><strong>*Huffs and puffs and tries to talk before collapsing* Just enjoy :P<strong>


	19. Shining White

***stretches* Aww Fridays, I love Fridays, mainly because they give me tonnes of time to tweak and write and enjoy writing the chapters.**

**Thanks for another 14 reviews guys! That puts this stories review count at 175! That's so wow! For 18 chapters I really am honoured! Unfortunately guys I don't think we will reach the 30's chapter wise for this story. I doubt this story will get anywhere higher than slightly high 20's, so don't worry you still have a good majority of chapters left! If you wanted a prequel or if you had any story prompts that you would love to see someone write you could always PM me though or leave an idea in the reviews and I would definitely write them for you guys (Maybe even start a series of one shots)**

**As for this story though big thanks to...**

**TwilightWakerofTime, I know damn those evil cliff hangers :P and yeah I bet everyone could see this coming, especially because I hinted at it before :)**

**Anon, Hello new reviewer (hugs) Please don't die here is the new chapter *passes it over on a spoon* don't worry we are going to find all about where Ghirahim has put Link this chapter.**

**Roowbin, A cocky Link is something I have always wanted to write but I find him too modest in character so I just had to include it :D **

**Regular Girl, that's ok, I understand people can't review all the time for multiple reasons, I'm just glad to hear you're still reading and enjoying the chapters.**

**ShatteredShapire, I love lord fabulous! Whenever I hear the word I think of Ghirahim now! So yesterday when I sprayed my friend in perfume and he started strutting around singing I'm fabulous it left me in stitches!**

**OmMyGeePinkSucksAss, oh the fact everyone seems to be stabbing him the back is going to make him mighty pissed, and with that crystal I wouldn't be surprised if he went on a killing spree *whistles***

**Farli30519, Yep, Sorry for the confusion since I realized I hadn't mentioned that, just assume Ghirahim knows it all :D**

**Shrouded Wolfielia, I now Links life sucks right now :L**

**Eyalane, Yep Ghirahim still likes to hate on Link, Now let's see if Link can get out of this!**

**Asterisk, Hello: D hehehe I don't hate Link :P I just love torturing :3 and I have a super secret love for all cool villains**

**increak96, the world must hate Link! Nothing ever seems to go his way!**

**ButterflyBabyBlue, I love to spoil since you guys spoil me with reviews! :D**

**As with further ado Chapter 19!**

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><p>The world was reluctant to return, colours and smells would strike with great force before fading away again into darkness. He wasn't even lucky enough to fall unconscious; the world just lingered between nothingness as if Link was trapped between sleep and awareness. The dull pain in his leg was a constant reminder of his fall. Of Ghirahims betrayal, well not really a betrayal since they had never trusted each other but a reminder of the fact Link had no one to turn to. His enemies and supposed friends were all in the same boat, casting him alone in a land of horrors. They would come and take but never help, casting him back eventually.<p>

And he was sick of it, he wanted a friend he wanted help, he just wanted appreciation. Everyone had someone except him. Was a single friend too much to ask, a single companion to help him through his ordeal. Apparently so for the goddess.

Link curled his fingers and toes and if he had been aware enough he would have lashed at the objects around him. None of it mattered anymore. No one was worth saving. He didn't care if Ghirahim brought back his master. Everyone deserved to burn, he wanted everyone to suffer, wanted everyone to slip beneath the protection of the goddess and join him in his fate. And he would make sure that happened.

A spike of life returned the smell of smoke and dried up grass extremely strong as Link pushed himself up and forced his eyes to open. The sun was warm on his skin but no where near to bright; a small column of rock fell on one side of the column he rested on, shielding the harshness of the sun rays from him. He was still in the volcano. Colonies of rock stretched everywhere, shrivelled dead grass coiled around them. There was no where to go. The columns rested on no solid ground for as far as Link could see, just bottomless darkness that shrouded the ground and the height of the fall. If he was to fall he wouldn't survive. Link pushed up on his good foot, examining the lolling of his other he could only guess it had dislocated.

He should be thankful it hadn't broken but the idea of popping his joint back in wasn't something that created a tankful feeling inside him. If anything it spurred on his anger. Another reason to hate the world, another thing that had happened to him that had not happened to anyone else. It was like he was a doll for the sadistic side of the world to poke and prod whenever it felt. A voodoo doll to prick with needles and watch squirm. Link checked his bottles for a fairy but found none, the last he had either used or it had escaped and Link sighed as he realized his foot would have to be mended the painful way. Holding onto the heated rock behind him he steadied himself and aligned his feet with his leg, careful not to shake the foot out of position as he slowly set it down to the floor.

He guessed if anything he should be thankful for the isolation the location offered as the first shout of pain came from his lips.

...

Finding the fire sanctuary had been too easy. All other pathways had led to volcanic pits or vast drops, the only path safe enough to walk through had led him straight to the fire sanctuary, it was like the goddess was making this too easy. She probably thought to aid the hero but she wasn't aiding him. Even if she had been she wouldn't have wanted to. No matter who got to her first now she would still be in trouble.

The fire sanctuary was by far the most interesting place he had been, scratches in the stone confirmed everything the boy had told him and more. The last room he approached had been covered in them, showing the locations of the trial gates, the items they hid and the flames they led to. But most importantly the sketch of the second gate of time, hidden away in the crumbling stone temple in the woods just like Link had said. For all the pain the boy had caused he had certainly been helpful and Ghirahim couldn't imagine accomplishing this all so fast without his help.

The last of the sketches connected with the first over the arch of the door ahead. Unlike the rest of the room the door stayed a colourless stone grey until Ghirahim approached. The Sky Childs sword pulsed purple as the mystic magic reacted with the door. The symbol of the Triforce glowed in the centre, magic stretching around the distant points of the symbol before glowing and setting the door alight in a purple haze. The door vanished in the same glittering sparks that all goddesses related items seemed to. The stones disappearance revealing the holder of the third and final flame, ready to enchant the blade in Ghirahims grasp.

Ghirahim smirked, stroking the length of the blade wondering what else could possibly enhance a blade that was already so beautifully crafted. He raised the blade steadily and the magic within it charged, flowing around the top in small wisps and he fired the whips forward, the purple tendrils striking the symbol ahead and spinning it wildly. The object slowed and stopped the excess magic crystallizing on it as the bright red flame sparked to life. Ghirahim welcomed its empowering warmth as he held the blade high.

Diamonds of his cut a flame free, the power inside it fighting his magic as it struck the wall in multiple places before falling on the blade, the attraction between the two irresistible. Normally the heat was uncomfortable even for him but with the earrings the boy had dropped the feeling was completely replaced and Ghirahim bathed in the heat as the sword smoked, flame entwining with metal and crystallizing on the surface.

And as the blade formed its ultimate form Ghirahim had no choice but to drop it. The clang of metal disguised Ghirahims pained hiss as the blade released from his grasp. Smoke whipped up from his pale skin revealing the toughened black skin of his true form underneath. Ghirahim stared in disbelief between his black skin and the glowing white blade. He nudged the blade again with the tip of his foot, the second his skin touched the light it smoked again his white skin burnt away to reveal his black skin and he flinched back.

Dins Flame had made the sword demon proof? No. NO! That couldn't be right. Ghirahim gripped the blade again in anger, the blade burned and tore his skin away and he hissed in pain but refused to let go. "You will stop it!" He shouted but it was no use, some things could not be changed with threats and Ghirahim dropped it again panting, unwilling to experience any more pain. He brought the hand to his head, running it back through his hair in sudden panic. If he couldn't use it then he couldn't reach the spirit maiden. Which meant... which meant?

Ghirahim growled to himself for being so foolish. He needed Link! But the boy would never help him now. Ghirahim froze in place and allowed all the thought to race through his mind. If Link wouldn't help he would just have to let the boy do it himself, Ghirahim aside the boy still wanted to get to Zelda. But time was not a luxury he had, the boy would be angry and he would look for revenge, he would punish everyone he found and by the time he worked his way to here, to where his blade rested. It may be too late.

He may even think it was too late; he may not even come here. Glancing at the blade Ghirahim tried to dissipate it, turn the metal to diamond but it stayed solid, the light around it stopping his magic dead. He would have to bring the boy here.

Disappearing to the rocky columns outside Ghirahim searched in panic, racing from column to column in a flash, desperately searching for the boy but he was gone. How could he be gone? He had been here, his aura was still strong. His scent still dominated the rocks Ghirahim pranced across. Ghirahim turned his attention to the door that led to this dead end of falls and rock. He would have to find the boy the hard way.

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><p><strong>Tadaa! Ghirahim hadn't been expecting this... obviously or he wouldn't have dropped Link off a cliff, so now his plans in shambles there is an evil hero on the loose and he's pretty intent on causing damage. I would be worried if I was you! Either prepare cookie bribe of hide under rocks because he's coming for you! :P<strong>

**Ok not really but review or I will set him after you :P (joking) Hope you enjoyed chapter 19! Please review if you have time.**


	20. Best Served Cold

**Hello guys and girls! chapter 20 of Tainted Tale is here! **

**Thank you all so much for a wooping 11 reviews last chapter! Especially because it wouldn't let you directly review chapter 19 signed in. Big thanks to increak96, RegularGirl, Dark Link, Legend Lover, Roowbin, TwilightWakerofTime, OhMyGeePinkSucksAss, ShatteredShaphire and Eyalane!**

**Hope you enjoy this chapter! I don't normally aim for the amount of reviews I hope to see but I'm keeping my fingers crossed for 14 (yeah I know it's a lot) But it would bring the reviews to 200 which would make the OCD part of my brain squee.**

**Enjoy!**

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><p>Using his claw shot to tag onto the last grassy target Link zipped from one pillar of rock to the final pillar, collapsing to the floor in a heap before getting up steadily. Scorching heat radiated from the passage ahead and without his earrings he knew his skin would burn and blister, but there was no other way forwards so it would have to do. He would just have to be thankful that his clothes would stay unlit as he sprinted into the volcanic centre.<p>

He took a split second to look around the corridors before running up the passage to his left, even though heat was supposed to rise Link noticed the place cool considerably and when he had run far enough to be comfortable with the heat he pressed against some rock, pressing a hand to the newly formed blisters on his skin.

They weren't severe, you could barely feel them and although he knew he probably looked red as anything he wasn't burnt, his limbs were still free of stiffness as he pressed off the stone and set up the path ahead. Frogs with sapphire eyes spooled water from their mouths, their designs were familiar even though had never seen statues like these before. Something about the architecture was similar and a gut feeling was telling him this was the start of the temple.

Walking down he found the door wide open, traps were left solved and opened locks and chains hung around doors. Link narrowed his eyes. Ghirahim had been here. Probably still was here if he hadn't come back for Link.

Link took off in a sprint, clearing the solved rooms much faster then Ghirahim would have, he was confident that he could catch the demon as he worked his way through the temple but as he sprinted through countless rooms a dread grew in his chest that told him he may be to late. Link leaped over a twitching body, a monster Ghirahim hadn't quite killed as he raced up an endless staircase.

Giant doors where split open and Link froze. He had already made it to the end? Had he left him and gone straight to the gate of time or was he looking for him now? Flashes of the Octopus link had battled sprang to mind as well as the image of the broken robot Ghirahim had burnt him in. There had been bosses for the other flames and maybe Ghirahim was fighting one.

Link stepped into the room slowly, partly because he was cautious but mostly because all this running had knackered his lungs and he needed air. The room was empty, the stone door at the end of the room already faded and Link could see the bright red flame that belonged to Din. Link expected to feel gutted, or angry at the fact he had been cheated but instead he felt ...wrong.

Something didn't feel right. The bright flame beckoned him into the next room and he walked slowly, positive he would find nothing. But he was wrong. In the next room lead his sword, glowing ever so slightly white in the red tinted room. It wasn't resting against anything, wasn't pinned between the tiles in the floor. It just led there as if it had been thrown away or... _dropped. _

Ghirahim had dropped the sword.

Link kneeled down as he grasped the hilt, it felt normal, unchanged so what had made Ghirahim leave it here? The white glow hummed softly and he wondered what it did. Din was the goddess of power. He had expected the flame the lengthen or sharpen the sword so what did this glow do that was even better then that?

Did it hurt demons?

"Link."

Link gripped the sword tightly in surprise, rolling back and bringing the sword to his defence before he realised who it was. Ghirahim. The demon was stood in the entrance, his perfect white skin blackened in places across his hands and chest, tendrils branched out from the burns in symbolic designs. What had he done to himself?

No. He wouldn't do anything to himself, he was too vain. Link stared at the glowing sword and then at Ghirahim, the demon matched his gaze, his face full of cation. His sword had done this?

Link laughed before he had realised he was going to. It was a small chuckle at first but he couldn't contain it and it grew, fuelled on by Ghirahims expression. He didn't even think it was funny. He was just glad. His sword had done this. He sword was actually useful against Ghirahim. Links lips curled into a cruel smile as he stared at the demon.

Any fear he had for him vanished and his anger took over. Link had a weapon, a weapon Ghirahim couldn't take away and he swore on his life that he was going to use it to it's fullest potential. He was going to make everyone that had double crossed him pay.

Links smile turned hostile as he growled at the demon. He had growled at him so many times but this was certainly the most satisfying. Instead of coming back with a sarcastic remark the demon stayed silent, his back foot edging his body slightly away. Link stalked forewords, blade dragging along the floor and he laughed.

"I have wanted to do this for such a long time!" Link shouted before slashing the sword into action, running full speed towards Ghirahim. Ghirahim brought his arms up to block the strike, a reflex he had conditioned into his muscles that would no longer defend him. The whites of his arms burned and peeled away in wisps of smoke and Ghirahim teleported backwards as he hissed in pain.

A grin spread across Links face as the demon summoned his own sword in self defence and he charged forwards again. His sword was causing him pain. Good, he wanted him to hurt. He wanted to make Ghirahim experience all the pain he had experienced and then more and he wasn't going to hesitate in doing so.

The swords rang out as they clashed, the roomcechoing every blow as the two of them fought, Link lashed out in manic unplanned blows that Ghirahim could only stop with sheer speed. Even then he couldn't block the majority though and he would hiss and teleport when the blade trailed oven his skin, throwing a few daggers to keep the boy back.

But they didn't hold him long, blades would slice open the boys skin but he didn't seem to notice, the adrenaline of the battle vanquishing all tremors of pain as he fought. Link drew the blade down Ghirahims sword to the handle, pressing the tip into the curl of the handle as he flicked his wrist. Ghirahim stumbled back to regain his grip and Link jumped forewords, seizing the opportunity to slash the blade down into the demons shoulder.

The blade lodged into place and Link flipped back leaving it there. Ghirahim shouted in pain, dropping his sword and instinctively gripping at the blade in his shoulder. His earlier blackened hand gripped around it and the white magic seeped in like it had earlier. He tried to pull it free but the blade was stuck and the demon fell to his knees, catching himself on his damaged hands.

Ghirahim grunted and growled in pain, breathing in heavy breaths as the sword burned into him. Link glanced down at the weakened demon smiling at his pain, he circled around him like a vulture, inspecting his preys condition before moving in with the needed force for the kill.

His boot struck the demons face and he flinched to the side, leaning over to the left where Link had kicked him. If most likely hadn't hurt him but it felt good and Link did it again, winding him in the chest before stomping on his blade and sinking it deeper into the demons shoulder. Ghirahim cried out in pain, his voice very hoarse as he tried to constrain in and Link loved it.

All the times Ghirahim had smiled at his pain Link had wondered what had been so funny but now he knew. Watching your enemy in pain whilst completely at your mercy after all the pain they had caused you was thrilling. Link stomped on the demons other shoulder, holding him in place as he removed his sword. He let the demon catch his breath before sinking the blade into his back before he could teleport.

Link grinned and closed his eyes at the shout of pain. This ... this was sweeter then he had dreamt his revenge would ever be, the pure power and dominance he felt was just amazing.

When his pain weakened Link twisted the blade and sparked it off again, revelling in the sound and the feel of him twitching under his foot. "There's a reason the goddess chose me." Link purred at him, fully confident in his power as he watched him squirm.

"I am strong, I am _so_ strong!" He laughed "I can take all your torture and all the rejection and remain unbroken so when I am free I can still stand for what I believe in." Link twisted the blade again and yanked it out, raising it above it's head to charge it's power ten fold. "And right now I believe you have every right to die." Link stabbed the blade back into the wound and Ghirahim growled in pain as his body shook. The white hot agony from the blade intensified until the demons body could prtect him no more and he blacked out.

Link smirked to himself.

He stepped off the demons back, kneeling down and ripping the earrings from his ears and placing them in his own. The demons blood ran underneath his unconscious body and Link kicked him over to see just how much was there, he had drawn a lot of blood indeed. Sheathing his sword he turned his back and left, completely uncaring to whether or not he lived.

Link had a gate to mend and a list of people to kill etched in his head as he walked from the temple and he was going to make sure not one of then was left uninjured.

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><p><strong>Well ... If I had been through all of this I think I would of gone all maniac on Ghirahims ass to! xD<strong>

**Hope you enjoyed this chapter! I know I enjoyed writing it! Please review if you have the time :P You will be able to this time I promise :3**


	21. Out of Reach

**Hey guys! Just want to start off by apologizing for me being such a clumsy ass -.- I "fell over" during cross country at school yesterday and literally broke my butt... (well my coccyx which is my tail bone but close enough) And so yesterday I was at hospital, and I got all these cool x-rays and was given all these cool pain killers but then some lady said that they cannot cast your coccyx and can only give me a doughnut cushion thing. Which works wonders, but I was still disappointed because it means I can't get everyone to sign my ass. And the immature part of me was looking forward to going to school and telling everyone to sign my ass :P**

**It also means I couldn't update, and I'm incredibly sorry because I wanted to express my love to all you awesome guys who got this story into the 200's with a massive 17 reviews and then I was going to shower you in cookies. So ahem.**

***cookies rain down on everyone* Thanks a lot to Leva114, ButterflyBabyBlue, Eyalane, WolfRunner326, increak96, RegularGirl, anon, Farli30519, Princess-of-Your-Doom95, Shrouded Wolfiellia, .Shadow, ShatteredShaphire, OhMyGeePinkSucksAss, Roowbin, TwilightWakerofTime, Goldenfur97, and Dark Link.**

**I love you all guys so catch as many cookies as you can *continues to pour boxes of cookies from ceiling***

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><p>The dying leaf floated down from the great tree, twirling down to the ground and catching the light before settling on the floor. Autumn was just starting to come. Animals were gathering food and retreating into the trees as the first of the leaves dried and fell to the ground and as a result the place was eeirly quiet.<p>

Links booted foot crunched down on the leaf, obliterating the already dead leaf as he walked. Without Fi or Ghirahims assistance landing in his chosen location hadn't gone as planned, he had aimed for the temple but instead the wind had circled him over to the viewing platform. It was a small change but the forest would take him a good hour to cut through and anticipation tingled in his veins as he walked forward, ducking under a low branch of the giant tree and continuing walking.

Monsters were everywhere, but with their master Ghirahim either weakened or dead they had no current orders. They stormed any retreating kikwis they could find, trying to steal anything they could to keep themselves alive as without Ghirahims assistance they had nothing. Link had caused this and he let himself smile at the fact his influence, _his strength_, had been the leading influence in the change.

An old stone ruin laid crooked in a spot of grass that Link was passing. He was getting close. The ruins of the structure that must of been here years ago started around half and hour ahead of the temple. Normally such a time passed quickly but now Link was so close to his goal that his patience seemed to disappear. His skin itched in anticipation and his sword hand was twitching while anticipating the kill.

Impa would be first, no the old lady in the temple would be first. Link didn't want to kill her but if she sensed his plan he would have no other choice not to. The same went for Groose, he wasn't on his list to kill but he would if he got in the way, unlike the old lady however he would have no qualms about that particular kill. Groose had used his strength to try and over power Link many a times, Link was stronger now though. His death would be more pay back then unnecessarily unlike the old lady.

The sun was setting in the west and Link wondered if Zelda was watching it, he knew she was in the past, how far back he didn't know but he doubted she would have anything better to do. He didn't know how long she had been there, torture had blurred his sense of time, but it had been awhile. He couldn't quite picture her in his head anymore because of it. She was blurred, an unknown face with blond hair and blue eyes. He couldn't remember what it felt like to be her friend anymore, all he felt was this rage towards her, and he realized he didn't remember why he had that either.

He stopped in his tracks, his mind racing in thought... it hurt. His mind hurt. He tried to think about what she had done again to reassure him he was doing the right thing but he simply couldn't remember. He knew they had been friends. Fact. But he didn't feel anything. He just felt angry, all this anger for what. An assumption? Surly an assumption couldn't spawn all this? His chest burned and for the first time in a while he remembered the crystal trapped under his skin.

Was that causing these feelings? Was it suppressing the good and fueling the bad. He took in a long, cool breath and shakily let it out. Now was not the time to be second guessing himself. Memory faded, it's what it did but he was sure his rage had to be caused by something important even if he couldn't remember what.

He would ask her. Demand to hear everything she knew after he slaughtered Impa in front of her. And it that wasn't enough to make her talk Ghirahim had shown him a few ideas that would.

The hill steepened, blessed butterflies floating around the dirt trail he walked on. He was getting close.

So close.

...

Ghirahim mumbled as he woke. He couldn't remember what he was doing, he had been after the flames, that he was certain of but his mind was in a blur. Why was he sleeping? Sleeping was something that wasted the precious time he had and considering he didn't even need sleep he couldn't possibly imagine why he had chosen to.

He moved to push up, bracing his hands in front of him and pushing. Pain sparked through his back as he sat up and he groaned. This pain was jumbling his thoughts. He rubbed at his eyes before peering them open. There was a brief moment when all he could see was red as his eyes adjusted to the bright flame beside him. The flame of Din. The last flame he had needed so what was he still doing here.

He went to stand but froze. Blood was pooled underneath him in a generous sized puddle, but it wasn't the boys blood. He was accustomed to the smell of the boys blood now and this was different. This was _his_ blood. Ghirahim tried to stand in a rush, stumbling slightly before managing to secure a grip against the wall and rest. His hands were blackened, long black columns raced up his arms and across his chest. They spread from a great big pit under his cloths and as he peeled away his top to investigate he shuddered.

His demon skin was healing fast but the unmistakable mark of a gaping hole was there in his chest, a stab wound that had gone right through him. The shock cleared his mind and Ghirahim counted himself lucky to already be resting against the wall or he would of fallen.

It had been the boy, that sky child. Anger struck him for the tiniest second before turning immediately to panic. The boy had the sword, had all the flames and had Ghirahim out of the way which could only mean one thing. Ghirahim cursed, trying to stand on his own and shaking slightly before pressing himself against the wall.

He had gone after Zelda, hell he might already have her, Ghirahim had no way to tell how long he had been asleep but he did know that if the boy killed her like he had planned that her soul would leave her body and be reborn in another. And Ghirahim didn't have the time to start this hunt all over again.

He clicked his fingers and teleported, disappearing and coming back a few feet away from where he had been resting. He barely managed to stay standing as he growled and clicked his fingers again. He disappeared a second time before appearing by the door of the room, a full 20ft from where he had started.

His panic escalated as he realized his powers were simply not going to work with his body this damaged. With his healing time it wouldn't be long before he could teleport again but he had no time to waste. He smashed his fist against the wall, cursing again.

Link was going to get to her first, He just knew it. But it would still be his fault. He had given him that crystal, he had changed his thoughts. If Link had just wanted to save her Ghirahim could still snatch her back. But hunting down a completely new baby, starting his investigation all over again...

No, he couldn't be sure Link had her and he wouldn't give up until it was proven he had lost. He teleported again, a 20ft jump which was an improvement to his previous 10ft jumps. It would take awhile to teleport across the two lands but it was the biggest hope he had.

His body moved outside, the heat of the environment making him uncomfortably and he noticed the boy had taken back his earrings. Ghirahims mind wandered back to the size of the cavern inside the volcano. He would have to estimate the distance and stay here until he was able to pull it off.

Until then he would just have to hope the sky child didn't destroy the only hope for him and his master.

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><p><strong>Did you like it? Was it worth the wait :P I hope it was, I know nothing really went down in this chapter but I think the build up was enough to keep me on the edge of my seat as I typed (yeah I get exited to) I would love to continue but my doctor recommended that I don't sit down for long periods of time so I guess this is where this chapter will end.<strong>

**Because of this I may not be able to update every day but I swear to the God I don't believe in that I will keep the updates within an every two day bracket at most.**

**Please read and review and most importantly enjoy! There aren't many chapters left so savor the ones to come my minions :P Oh and savor your cookies to, I'm running out of bribes :3**


	22. Hesitant

**Hello guys! Chapter 22 is here and ready to kick some ass :D Massive thanks to all my reviewers, Eyalane, TwilightWakerofTime, Roowbin, anon, Shrouded Wolfielia, Piezella (Who was kind enough to review multiple chapters after just finding this story! Thanks!), RegularGirl, Dark Link, ShatteredShaphire, LEva144, WolfRunner326, OhMyGeePinkSucksAss, increak96, Princess-of-Your-Doom95 and ButterflyBabyBlue!**

**Seriously 18 reviews! That is ridiculous! The number is so high I haven't stopped grinning since! Thank you! All of you so much! Whether you are a new reviewer or a continuous reviewer! It is always heart warming to see new people stumble across my story and like it but it is equally heart warming to get these constant reviews from you guys telling me how you continually enjoy it!**

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><p>The metal material of the sacred shield shone as it caught the sunlight, flaying threw the air before landing softly on the grass, softly clanging against Links sword. Link himself climbed up the wall, after throwing his sword and shield up to lighten the load the climb was a lot faster than usual and he dragged himself up, rolling onto the edge in record time.<p>

The temple was directly ahead and Link could barely find the patience to reattach his shield and sheath before entering, not even bothering to sheath his sword as he walked forwards, glowing white blade dragging softly through the grass. The tip of the blade scratched across the stone platform as he walked up the steps in great big powerful strides.

He slammed his shoulder into the door, pushing it open with his spare hand instead of tidying away his sword. The door creaked open, letting daylight into the dusty ruins of the building and he slipped through the crack silently. The old lady sat on the stone stage ahead, her long graying hair plaited around her head before left to swing by her face. The still hair swayed as she moved her head up to glance at the hero, a small smile highlighting the laughter lines that were already permanently etched onto her face.

"Link you have returned along with your powered blade, come, do an old lady a favor and show me the sword." He hesitantly glanced at her from across the room, his guilty conscious racing at whether or not she could sense his evil desires. He took a hesitant step forward, lifting the blade so it didn't scratch along the floor as he made the short journey to her. He leaned down and pressed the blade into her outstretched hands. "The power is still raw but it is there." She smiled and handed it back. "You can use this to open the gate young one but it is still incomplete, Zelda waits for you on the other side, she can finish off your sword and I'm sure she can answer all your questions."

Link stared at her cautiously, careful not to give anything away. He nodded once before turning to face the cold slab of stone in the middle of the room, so unlike the gate at Lanryu. He twisted his body and stalked towards it, running a hand across its cool surface before glancing at his blade. Now he was here, ready to go through with his plans he had the oddest doubt in what he was doing. He held the blade up at an angle, not confident enough to hold it skyward as it charged.

A part of his mind that he had forgotten about until now screamed at him to stop, a tiny tiny part that he had overlooked that was only now getting through. His hand lowered ever so slightly before shooting back up and he struck the stone. At first nothing happened but then a faint glow came from the crest in the middle. Ancient symbols lit up in groups, first one then three, and seven and twenty before shooting out in blinding light, shaped blocks coming apart and swimming around him before his very eyes.

The sight was so breath taking that as he watched all sense of what he was doing was forgotten and for the first time in a long time he felt normal, relaxed. Like his usual self before he became filled with rage. The blocks fitted together to form a giant clog that slotted into the temple's foundations, patterns lit up, imprinting on the crystal surface as the clog began to turn. Link shook his blond hair from his face, staring at the beautiful gate before him. The things ahead completely forgotten.

His hand shakily reached for the stone, the three triangle pattern glowing as his hand touched the water like surface, it rippled in on itself forming a path of endless turning clogs and Link froze. This was it. It was going to actually do it. His fury dwindled at the face of his solution. Was this really for the best? The image of Impa standing next to Zelda, the two locked in friendly conversation. Zelda turned to him and smiled before remembering her company. She snarled at Link, rejecting him outright before turning back to Impa, gripping to her arm and fading away.

Rage filled his blood and he charged, blade ready into the black abyss,she would die for what she had done and then after Zelda groveled and confessed and begged for forgiveness he would do the same to her. No one crossed him. And as he ran towards the endless darkness he let his rage built. Waiting for the second he spotted Impa so he could leap blade first into her chest, only being content when her warm blood splatted across his face and turned cold.

...

A brittle cough racked through Ghirahim as his body cleared out the dead waste of his insides, blood splattering his hand because of it. It was harmless and he wiped it away on the tree trunk he stood by. His injuries were practically gone but it had still been a long journey over, too long and he was determined to reach the temple before the sun set fully and cast the land into the darkness. Colors danced across the sky, tinting the clouds pink and orange and he worringly noted his lack of time.

The wall leading to the sealed temple was in sight and Ghirahim walked towards it, his blackened hands gripping the vines as he yanked himself up. He may be healed but he had teleported way too much already amd if he tried now his exausted magic would be unable to focus, making it just as likely to be sent further away from the stone structure as it was to be sent towards it.

He pulled himself up easily but the climb was still uncomfortable. The black skin of his natural form felt nothing as it scrapped across surfaces and the sudden lack of feeling struck fear into the demon. His master had promised he could keep his human like form if he served him well but the boy had faded it away easily. It would be much easier for his master to change him back than fix him and as he stalked forward his mind was set on getting this girl as quickly as possible in the hopes of impressing Demise enough to make him do the later.

The colorless world of the sword worried him after his sense of freedom and he wouldn't let the boy take it from him. His scent dominated the air as he pushed into the temple. The gate twisted around and he grinned before letting it fade. He could only hope the boy hadn't been gone long.

"Ghirahim." The old woman rose from her position in terror at his arrival, glancing at the gate before looking back to him. Her face set in determination and he laughed at how she could even think about stopping him in his current state.

"Impa, my the years were cruel to you." He summoned his black rapier grinning at the woman. "Don't worry about me killing you now, you failed to protect the spirit maiden the second you let the boy pass through anyway."

The woman stared at him in confusion before her eyes widened in horror. "No-"

"Oh yes." The demon grinned and charged forward, blade raised, and ready to strike.

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><p><strong>Soooo Close! Yes I'm evil! :D It's part of my charm. *runs away giggling evily, throwing oreos behind her to stall her pursuers.*<strong>


	23. Warmth

**Ack! So sorry for no update in two days! This Friday I got my exam slip for the next two months at school, and I have got 14 exams! I have been ripping my hair out ever since trying to revise and I'm surprised I worked in enough time to get this chapter out tonight!**

**Thank you so much for 16 reviews! :D I really do love you guys and thank you for the constant reviews even though I'm epically failing at my daily updates right now (GAH STRESS!) Big thanks to ShateredShaphire, OhMyGeePinkSucksAss, RegularGirl, Dark Link, Piezelle, Roowbin, Purrow195, OrangeDragonofDusk, anon, petite-neko, increak96, TwilightWakerofTime, WolfRunner326, Princess-of-Your-Doom95, Eyalane and Shrouded Wolfielia!**

**Purrow was confused as to why Link could touch the sword last chapter if he wasn't pure of heart, I would just like to clear up that is because he hasn't had the blade blessed by Zelda yet. Dins flame just means that demons are damaged by the blade and it's Zelda's blessing that repulses all those who don't have a pure heart.**

**I also agree with OhMyPinkSucksAss in the fact that Impa is totally a stick, I'm surprised Link could get his hands on her in this chapter (ha anticipation ;) )**

**Happy Reading!**

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><p>The flames in the temple danced in excitement, flickering across the edge of Ghirahim's blade faster then the eye could track. Stopping and appearing in random positions as the demon trust his sword at the old woman. A bright blue barrier sparked to life and he grinned in amusement at her futile attempt at protecting herself. His cloak flickered behind him to join the dancing flames as he grinned and brought his blade down again. Weakening the barrier before striking again.<p>

This was fun. He had missed it.

The past couple of days had been so stressful, chasing around a boy with equal power to you was no fun and being put back in control was amazingly refreshing. He took in a deep breathe ,cherishing the moment. Whatever was happening past those turning clogs was nothing to underestimate but Ghirahim let his panic subside so he could enjoy himself. The first person the boy would target was Impa and if her older version was still here it meant he hadn't killed her yet. So theatrically Zelda was still safe.

The barrier cracked and small shards splintered off in crystal sparkles. Ghirahim dove, thrusting his blade into the next weak spot and crouched in a dramatic position, head down to protect him from the splintering glass like barrier as it shattered around him. Impa staggered back, letting out a panicked cry as Ghirahim shot his head back up to look at her. He grinned as she tried to back away from him before swiping his sword to his side as he vanished into many black diamonds that caught the light of the lit torches around the temple before disappearing completely.

She glanced around warily before moving herself down the stone steps. If she could get outside she could alert Groose but there was just one problem. The door. A heavy stone slab perfectly designed to keep her aged form trapped inside. Curse her luck. She turned for the door Ghirahim had came threw, it rested open leading to the woods outside. She could reach Groose this way but it would take longer.

She moved as quickly as she could to the door, pushing threw the gap. Her hunched back wouldn't slip threw as easily and she moved out of the door way just as a black blade sliced down the entrance, the arm that held it trailing behind her. "Aw come on Impa loosen up, it's not like you _had_ long left to live any way." _Had?_ He was acting as if she was already dead and that was a bad sign.

He pulled her in by pressing the blade into her abdomen, forcing her to step backwards until she hit his chest. "Tell the Goddess I'm coming for her." He snarled before pressing the blade in and slashing her cloths and skin together. She gasped and stiffened in his arms before dropping to her knees, she gasped for air that wouldn't come, resting her hands on the stone floor that was being painted red by her blood. He smiled.

He expected her to collapse and curl in on herself but instead her form faded in and out, turning into light. He frowned. Was that normal? His eyes narrowed and turned to the gate, clogs turned like a clock and he was reminded of his time. He was on a time limit and if Impas unusual death was any indication he didn't have much. Link had killed Impa in the past.

He stalked to the gate, hand rippling the surface and he prepared to storm threw just as a muscled teen ran threw the entrance, hair up in one giant spike "Granni-..." The boy stopped dead in his tracks as he saw Ghirahim, he had no idea what he had done. Impas blood had vanished with her body, spilling in a pool in the past ,rather then a pool in this time.

Ghirahim growled. He didn't have time to deal with the boy but leaving him behind to follow the demon was a bad idea and he turned to the boy. "Grannies dead." He growled hoping his bluntness would shock the boy into a panic and cause him to run. His eyes widened and he backed away and Ghirahim prayed to a great being he didn't believe in that he would run. But Hylias people were fighters. His eyes flashed in anger and he stormed forward, armed with nothing but his fists before diving for Ghirahim, the demon matching his attack as they collided.

...

The clogs twisted to a stop, the empty temple in front of him eerily quiet. His feet padded across the stone floor, his normally quiet steps made to seem loud when echoing in the silent room. They were here. He grinned and raised his sword from the ground, posed in front of him ready to slash at anyone or anything that got in his way.

He moved forwards up the stairs to the platform the old woman rested on in the sealed temple. With her absent and with no one to take her place Link finally noticed the giant doors that the steps led to, shut firmly. They were there. They had to be.

"Link." The sheika stared at link from across the room, her thin figure hid in the shadows, her skin barley catching the flames in the room. She opened her mouth to say something, anything. Now was her only chance to argue her side before he attacked. She stepped forward, eyes set at him in a stony glare as she spoke "Your late."

The words dragged back a painful memory and Links eyes flashed red, the world spinning and he half staggered, half lunged towards the woman. She stared at him, eyebrow raised, she had seen the boy angry before but she had never seen him act on his feelings. She had no idea what he had been through to get here but she got the feeling it was bad if it strained that reaction from him.

She softened her gaze, expecting him to calm so she could apologize but he merely took a deep breath and glared up at her when the world stopped moving and lunged properly. The distance he covered was large and therefor not very controlled and he just slammed into the servants side, toppling them both to the floor. Her hands formed a small blue ball that burst and sent him flying into the wall, the wall slamming the wind from his chest.

He fell to the floor and rolled up to his feet just as Impa rolled to hers before lunging forward with a battle cry. Impa dodged and try to punch him in the gut but he quickly blocked with his sword, slicing her knuckles with his blade before she got her fists away. She turned to avoid spin attack, the blade cutting the end of her plait off to the floor as she span away. His drained position left him exposed and she kicked him away. "What are you doing!" Link didn't reply. Instead opting to stagger away and catch him breath before saying "Something I should of done a long time ago."

He threw the blade at her instead of charging, catching her off guard and therefore unable to block the quick strike. The blade sliced right through her shoulder, pinning into the stone wall behind her and she cried out as Link crushed his arm against her throat. She brought her hands up to dig into his arm as she tried to free her grasp. Link winced as her sharp fingernails cut open his skin and he fumbled with his free hand, fumbling around the wall before finding the hilt of his sword and pressing it in harder.

She cried out and her grip loosened and before she regained her grip Link swung his fist around into the side of her face. Her head ripped round and hit the wall the world spun and when Link realized she was still couscous he twisted the blade in her shoulders. She shouted in pain as her muscles spasmed and he pulled out his blade just as she crumpled to the floor. He raised his sword above his head, his racing heart pumping in his chest. His personal count down of when to strike.

_10, 9, 8_

"Link?" Link turned his head in surprise to find Zelda peering out from behind the closed doors of the temple room. His position blocked her view of Impa and he realized she hadn't yet noticed her danger as she walked out of the room. That's it come closer. He thought as she half jogged over to him. "What are you doing?" She questioned as she moved and a cruel smile pulled on his face as he stepped back.

Zelda gasped, a hand coming to her mouth as she dropped down beside Impas limp form. "What happened?" She barley breathed out as the countdown his heart was beating ran out. His blade sliced down into the sheikas chest and her body spasmed, curling in on itself before going limp. Zelda screamed and launched herself back instinctively as the blade came down into the womans chest, splattering her with warm blood.

"Link!" She shouted as if crying for help before coming to the shocked realization that it was Link that had done it. Her eyebrows knitted in horror. "Why" She breathed and he smiled, his lounge darting out to lick the warm blood off his lips as he pulled his stained blade out.

Link merely gave her that snide smile that she had never seen on her friends face until a few seconds ago and she scrambled up and ran, dodging underneath a lazy strike from Link as he ripped out the blade. He laughed as she retreated through the room she had emerged from and followed behind slowly, his blade staining a red path as he dragged it. "You better find a good hiding spot because I'm coming!" He shouted after her before following.

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><p><strong>MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAAAA-AHH, Ahh, ahh *cough* God I'm being to evil lately :P<strong>


	24. Shattered

**Another two day update! Gah! I'm sorry I can't get them out to you sooner. I keep trying but all my coursework latly means I only have around 20 minutes to write every night before I need to head of to bed. A part of me knows I couldn't get this out any faster but there is still that small part of me that keeps telling me I should of tried harder considering you guys are so wonderful with your reviews!**

**I mean 23 reviews! THAT IS THE MOST REVIEWS I HAVE EVAR HAD! I literally had a min spaz attack when I realized how many reviews you wonderful people had blessed me with. Huge thank you to Princess-of-Your-Doom95, LEva114, Pilpols, ButterflyBabyBlue, Roowbin, WolfRunner326, zelda3469, anon, OrangeDragonofDusk, Piezelle, Shrouded Wolfielia, ShatteredShaphire, Lily, OhMyGeePinkSucksAss, increak96, Dark Link, May All Your bacon Burn, Eyalane, RegularGirl, TwilightWakerofTime, TNTkitten and monkmonkeys!**

**So many names! All of which give me great feelings of happiness when I type, I honestly feel as if you guys are my friends (sad ... maybe but you have all been part of this amazing journey so you all feel special to me) **

**This is the first story of mine that has had so much positive feedback and it really does feel so nice to not only grow as a writer but to be able to provide you all with entertainment. If there is any way I can make it up to you guys please just tell me and I will do it!**

**But enough with me being soppy! Go enjoy the story!**

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><p>Small panicked footsteps rang out in the hall ahead of him and Link followed, a grin spread from cheek to cheek as he followed with uneven steps and a lazily held blade. He was the predator, she was the pray and the sheer adrenaline he was getting by playing with her life was so amazing he almost didn't want to stop.<p>

_Almost.  
><em>  
>Zelda ran forward at a speed so fast she couldn't of managed it without the adrenaline. She never slowed, not even to turn the corners as she ran deeper into the ruins of the temple, stumbling every now and then. This wasn't right. She didn't really know how she had expected her reunion with Link to go but she had imagined a lot more hugs and much fewer malice. Their friendship had been so strong, but even she had to admit that it had grown weaker from their distance. She had wanted to see him, oh how desperate she had been to see him. But she had her job to do and it was too important to just abandon.<p>

The fact that it could of gotten so weak that Link would try to kill her however, she hadn't even imagined it in her nightmares.

She had expected he may be upset with her disappearing to the past but she had hoped he would understand. Her mind wondered and raced almost as fast as her legs. What had happened to him? She had been guided by Impa, she had been kept safe and he had been left alone to fend for himself. Pain tore at her insides. Guilt? She wanted to stop and cry and apologise all at once. Burst in appreciation for all he had done for her. But that wouldn't be wise when he was trying to impale her on his sword.

His Sword!

Impa had told her about the sword. The Goddesses sword... her sword. She had needed to bless it to complete it, to keep Link away from evil. But she had failed him. Link had already been tainted by evil. She could sense it, and unless she could get close enough to the blade to bless it without being skewered on it, all she could do was to the Goddess that she could pull this off.

Wait. She dead panned as she realised she _was_the Goddess. Who was the Goddess meant to pray to for help?

She skidded around the side, turning into a narrow path and climbing up a wall of vines that had grown over the stone after being untouched for so many years. She had wanted to show Link the temple and it's beauty but now ... now. She had to stop thinking now, concentration was key.

Link stopped by the narrow pathway. He turned to glance down at the dead end path and quickly turned away to keep walking. As he walked forward a flash of green caught his eye and he turned his head slightly to see a wall of vines. Vines that could be climbed. He smirked and stalked forewords not bothering to look up at the platform the vines lead to. The leaves were freshly rustled and her scent was rubbed all over them. A scent he had not been able to forget since it had been with him the entire time. Stained into the sail cloth that kept him alive.

He had always loved using it because her smell would be right next to him and if he closed his eyes he could pretend she was right there with him. And in a way she had been there, keeping him safe. His hand twitched on the vines and the sword sagged in his hands and he stared deeply into the green vines in front of him.

How did he know she had betrayed him? Impas betrayal he could remember, picture perfectly in his head. But Zelda... there were no memories or images that could explain his hatred. Just emotion. She could be the same old Zelda he had grown up with, the one he loved as a friend, like a sister and if all this hadn't happened maybe more.

His suddenly noticed how much his black tunic contrasted against the vines. He could remember the time his tunic had been the same greeny colour as the plant, a time where he had been fighting for Zelda's safety. The times before Ghirahim had tortured him. **Ghirahim**. What had he done?

He froze, fully aware of Zelda's eyes boring down on him but at a complete loss of what to do. He had to talk to her, had to listen to her... he wanted to be told he was wrong. He didn't want to be against the world. He didn't want to be abandoned. He wanted his friend.

"Zelda?" He croaked out. It was shaky, the part of him that had said it incredibly weak. "Link?" Her soothing voice came across as a question. "Link what happened to you." She continued, on the point of tears. She wasn't liking this anymore then him. Tears pressed at his own eyes and he couldn't remember why. He wanted to remember why...

_"Come on it won't be so bad, you and me working as a team, and then once we get the spirit maiden I can kill you off so you don't have to live with the guilt, doesn't that sound better then torture?" Link shook his head, tears sparkling up his eyes. "No, I won't let that happen."_

Ghirahim had done something, Link didn't want this and here he was. His tears were coming from that weak part of him that was still fighting this losing battle inside of him. His throat constricted as the tears pressed against his eyes. "I don't know." He replied. "But you need you to get away, I don't want to hurt you." He squeezed out and he felt her wide eyed stare soften.

"You won't hurt me Link." She soothed. Link shook his head as his thoughts were suppressed back within his body and his arms moved by themselves, pulling him up onto the ledge with Zelda. She looked at him. She thought he was still here but as he watched his sword arm ready itself he hated how she was wrong. No!

His sword swiped and her eyes creased in confusion before pressing out in shock and she brought her arms up to shield herself from the blade, a pointless gesture, one that wouldn't protect her.

Everything went in slow motion as he screamed at himself to stop, her arms slowly locked in position as his sword drilled closer to her. It got uncomfortably close, grazing the hairs on her arms before a thin shimmering barrier appeared. The sword slammed against it and shook backwards. Zelda kept her hands locked together, the shield became stronger and shone and his arm raised again, slashing and dicing at it.

It cracked, and split and was about to shatter before light radiated in one giant blast. Link stumbled back, his ears rang and his eyes were blurred. His arms darted around, and he only realised they were as his vision returned to him. A deep pitched rumble slowly came back, slightly muffled and he recognised it as his own scream, and he only just managing to feel confused at why he was screaming before the pain in his chest erupted.

He stumbled back onto his knees clawing at his chest, a black crystal glowed violently under the skin, snake like veins shooting waves of pain across him. It glowed lighter as the radiated light collected around it. Blinding pain tore through him as the black crystal shrunk inside his chest. The shattering rock tore at his skin. The shards splintering on the surface.

His arms flayed randomly as the pain took away his control. His arms twitched, the black crystal snaking veins out to his arms and legs and he staggered to his feet, his arm twitching. Zelda lay on the ground, panting from exhaustion as Link staggered forwards. The crystal inside directly controlling his arm as he raised his sword.

She looked up, eyes wide like an animal frozen in fear. But unlike before the crystal wasn't manipulating him. It was _controlling_him, and so there was so hesitation to get in the way as the blade struck down. Link felt the blade slash against a target, his eyes not seeing what he had hit as they clenched in agony at the sudden rip of pain

He heard Zelda scream just as the light shattered the crystal in his chest and he crumpled to the floor, blacking out instantly.

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><p><strong>Well. Thats all I'm saying. Anything else will ruin it ;)<strong>


	25. Fading Away

**I AM SO SO SO SORRY! Please before you come after me all with torches and pitchforks please let me explain... *gulps and with a dry throat continues* Ok so when I said I would update in a few days I honestly did mean it... I was going to have an operation to realign my coccyx and I would be in recovery 1/2 days tops with plenty of time to update you guys.**

**However because I'm anemic my blood pressure in pretty low and I got a blood clot so that maximum two day recovery time turned into a minimum two week recovery time! I freaked out and I really am so sorry. Trust me I am so gutted and I feel so bad about it because it was the best feedback I have had for this story ever and I repaid you like that. **

**However it's here now and I can only hope that your not too mad at me to read it...**

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><p>Link woke up slowly, his body emerged in a dull buzzing sensation that had manifested while his body had stayed in his still unconscious state. His thoughts scrambled back to him to quick to process and Link moaned onto his side, bringing a hand to his head. He didn't ache like he expected he would. Normally after being knocked cold his mind would stagger back to life with little finesse or care for his pain but right now he felt oddly... free.<p>

His breath seemed to fill his lungs better then it had before, his senses shone and his mind seemed to clear from the misty confusion it had been trapped in as he noticed that invisible weight was gone from his shoulders. He loosened his stiff neck and shoulders by rolling back his joints and smiled at how simply relaxed he felt. Sunshine warmed his face and he happily opened his eyes to greet the lovely day around him.

Only he wasn't outside. Confusion struck as he glanced at the unfamiliar surroundings, only managing to settle for a few seconds before Link insides crushed together in the pit of his chest. Zelda had been here, and he had tried to kill her.

He scrambled around for his blade only to find it resting behind him. The outstretched purple handle was new to him but he had no time to admire it because all he could concentrate on was the crimson liquid that stained the blade. "No." He whispered- although he could barley hear the world himself. The world spun and he staggered onto his favored right side.

His blade had hit her, the dried crimson proof enough, grief hit full force as his chest restricted so tightly he though he would puke. Why? Why would he do that. What has possessed him to do that? Came the screams of his mind and he choked up when he couldn't find the answers. He glanced around for a body and when he found none his eyes settled on the trail of blood on the stone floor beneath him.

He shakily grabbed his sword and climbed down, holding the blade up with two hands as he followed the trail. There was so much blood... it wouldn't be long before he found the body. Her body. He cringed at the thought, it was true. She had to be dead, but what was he meant to do? He couldn't even declare revenge on whom had killed her because it had been him.

No... A small voice whispered in the back of his mind. It was Ghirahim. Link stopped at his leather boot hit the limp body the trail led to. His eyes stared ahead as his memories returned. The torture, the slavery. Ghirahim had controlled him like a puppet and Link had to bring a hand to his chest to where the crystal had been embedded in his skin.

It was gone now though. Links final moments before he had passed out came back to him. Zelda shielding herself, him crazily whittling down her defenses as she did something... it was only clear to him now that she had in fact been blessing his blade, protecting the sword and the wielder from those with tainted minds.

Like his. The spot where the crystal had been was empty, and he faintly remembered it had shattered just as he had struck the last blow on Zelda. But something was off, the sun had been close to setting when Link had come here and was literally setting right now. His fingers painted over the dried blood on the blade that should still be moist as he remembered that familiar orange glow that had enveloped Zelda as he had tried to strike her before he passed out.

The same diamond shaped walls that had stopped him many a times. He glanced down at the body, no longer worried it was Zelda. He knew the trail led to Impa and now he eyes was just confirming it. Guilt still rattled him as he looked at her Horrific injuries, but no where near as much guilt as he had had a few moments ago.

He hadn't killed Zelda. The relieve made him choke up a laugh before his mind connected the dots. If he didn't have her Ghirahim did. He ran towards the churning gate in the centre of the room, more then ready to storm through to the other side before the building shook as he was thrown off to the left.

Tiny grains of rubble fell from the ceiling, looking more like smoke then stone and he was glad to be in the still sturdy temple of the past then the already crumbling temple of the future since a shudder like that would of brung down the whole ceiling down.

He turned his head to the stone door behind him before sprinting toward it, quickly pushing it open and throwing himself off the edge of the spiraling hill around him. His sail cloth stopped him from landing to harshly as he came to rest in the centre of the circle with a very flustered Zelda and an even more annoyed Ghirahim.

The demon didn't have to turn to acknowledge Links presence and he froze on the spot, his blackened fingers curling upwards in anger. "I guess it was too much to hope that the crystal had tainted enough of your mind to leave you a mindless husk without it." He growled, turning to face Link, his eyes shone with rage, his hair concealing the worst parts of the scarring on his face. But even with so much rage he did not look threatening. His body sagged in a position the demon was far to vain to take naturally and Link could see the tension in his muscles caused just by trying to stand

Their last encounter had left Ghirahim Link weaker then Link had thought and any strength he would of had time to recover would of been wasted shielding Zelda earlier. Ghirahim was completely at his whim and he knew it, his anger only intensifying because of it. One quick strike from Link and this would all be over, Ghirahim could barley stand, fighting was clearly out of the question and to kill him now wouldn't be a fairly matched battle.

It would be slaughter.

The growl make the demon cough and he staggered to his knee, determination wrinkled the features on his face as he willed himself to stand, clearly not wanting to show weakness in front of Link even though they both knew where the other stood. His cough finished and he just managed to straighten again. Link lowered his sword ever so slightly but didn't sheath it and turned to stare at Zelda. Her eyes were widened like a deer caught in bright light as she cautiously watched both of them. Link softened his gaze and Zelda seemed to soften hers, relief flooded her features and tears flooded her eyes and it took everything she had not to run to Link and choke him in a hug as she realized what that look meant.

Ghirahim hissed in disgust. "You humans are all pathetic, how- how could you possible reduce me to this." He barley managed out before he coughed again, this time falling to his knees.

Ghirahim had been weak but he couldn't of been this weak to of gotten to them. Obviously whatever Zelda had done to bless the blade had somehow hit him, her sacred light had to be draining the life from him as he spoke and from what it looked like there wouldn't be long before it finished. "My master, I failed him, because of you- because of a mere boy!" He shouted, his uncontrollable rage shakily teleporting him 2ft away from where he had been.

Links brow creased in confusion as Ghirahim laughed, and Link shared a confused look with Zelda before he finished. "He would of shown you-" Ghirahim muttered. His left hand glowed a faint orange and Link realized to late that he was now on the weakened seal of the Imprisoned as he brought his hand down onto the lock.

Or at least he tried to, before Link could react Zelda snatched his hand and pulled it up, Ghirahim snarled at her and Link readied his sword again, pointing it at Ghirahim. "You've lost Ghirahim, no point wasting your life trying to bring him back." Link growled but Ghirahim simply shook his head. "No your wrong- there-there is no life for me without my master, I would rather die then fail him."

The sad tone he used completely stunned Link, he was unaware Ghirahim could possess such an emotion, and it really wasting helping that it reminded him of Fi. She had sounded exactly the same when she had screamed his name for the final time, not because she had been scared of dying, but because she hadn't wanted to fail him.

Link stared at him and it suddenly clicked, the loyalty, the whole 'master' business. He was just like Fi. Link lowered his sword and completely ignored the demon- well spirit- well... he didn't know really, and walked towards the seal, he ground his sword into the ground and the blackened strips of grass pulled back into the ground as the seal regained it's strength. It wouldn't stop whatever Ghirahims master was from trying to break free again but Zelda could tell him how to stop that later.

Link turned his attention back to the pair behind him, Zelda stared at his in curiosity- wondering what he was going to do, but Ghirahim merely hung his head in defeat, not bothering to look at the two children as Link stalked towards him.

Link readied his blade and sliced it through the hole in the demons chest. He stilled but made no move to stop Link as the sword glowed, detecting the evil within Ghirahim. The faint outline of a black blade shone inside Ghirahim and he cried out as it shattered before gritting his teeth.

It had been just what Link had expected, it was why he had done it. He hadn't planned to kill Ghirahim... just free him. With the sword no longer holding his physical form Ghirahim dimmed into an orange sprite and disappeared into Links blade, replacing Fi as the crystal in the hem glowed orange.

Link sheathed the sword and glanced at Zelda whose outstretched hand still hovered where she had been holding Ghirahims arm. She started blankly at the ground he had been on before turning to face Link. The boy smiled warmly at her as she glanced between her hand and the outstretched hand that he had place towards her.

A single poured down her cheek and she half laughed in joy before ignoring Links hand completely and pulling him into a hug. Link stiffened in shook before laughing with her and hugging her back just as they both said in unison. "I missed you." They both laughed again before Link whispered "Jinx." and Zelda sniffled and wiped her eyes. She smiled up at Link as if she was still amazed he was actually here before glancing up at the temple.

Her gaze darkened and without turning back to Link she whispered. "That seal won't hold forever." Links mouth twisted in confusion before she replied. "But I know how we can fix that." She turned back to Link and clasped his hand shortly in hers before saying.

"And this time I do mean we." Link scoffed a laugh and she playfully hit him in the arm as they started the long walk up the hill together.

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><p><strong>THE END! :') Now I will say I know this sorts of hints at ZeldaLink but I left it completely up to interpretation. I personally see them as best friends and nothing more but I know loads of people ship this pairing so I thought I would hint at it. And before you ask No Ghirahims not dead :P I would NEVER kill him! What Link did is destroy the hold Demise had on Ghirahim, and with that hold gone he now simply serves the next person with some weird magic voodoo sword... which is Link :P**

**I plan to do a much nicer sequel to this with the adventures between Zelda, Link and you guessed it Ghirahim and it is going to have a much nicer tone to it then this rather dark story. I again am so sorry for the wait I put you guys through for this last chapter but I hope you enjoy it!**

**It's been a hell of a ride guys! And I love you all for being there for me. :) I love you all 3 x**


	26. Wayward Sword The sequel!

**Well hello my many minions! Don't you find it odd that I'm updating a completed story? I do :P**

**But fear not! I'm not hear to scramble your brains with confusion, I am simply adding this note to confirm that the sequal to Tainted Tale is up! **

**It is called Wayward Sword, It is rated T and the two characters you need to search to get the story to pop up are of course Link and Ghirahim :)**

**Enjoy! (hopefully)**


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